


When We Fight

by TwiceBakedPotato



Series: SpiderDadPool [2]
Category: Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Aunt May is a BAMF, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, Lots of Angst, M/M, Retired Deadpool, Retired Spider-Man, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-21 12:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2468123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiceBakedPotato/pseuds/TwiceBakedPotato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Parker and Wade Wilson really enjoy their retirement. Wade hasn't had to kill anyone in 5 years. Peter hasn't had any bad press from J. Jonah Jamison. But when the supervillains of the world decide to kidnap the children of superheroes, Deadpool and Spiderman decide it is time to dig out the masks. Cuz nobody messes with their little punkin.</p><p>(This is the continuation of "I'll Be Your Baby Daddy". I'm in my own world here. It's cozy.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Suspended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is definitely Wade's kid.

Peter was in the middle of his student conference hours when the call came. He smiled at the angsty chemistry major sitting across his desk and picked up his cell, frowning seeing Ben’s school on the caller ID.

“Professor Parker-Wilson speaking,” Peter answered.

“Yes, Peter, this is Principal Bailey. We have had an incident.”

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. “What kind of incident?”

After having his secretary cancel the rest of his appointments for the afternoon, and piling an armload of tests to grade on Karen the Grad Student’s desk, Peter went down to the street and hailed a taxi while dialing Wade’s number. Wade,wasn’t answering. Peter knew that down in the bomb disposal area of S.H.I.E.L.D., cell signal wasn’t the best. And he didn’t want to leave a message on Wade’s voicemail, because that would probably result in shouting. Lots and lots of shouting.

Ben was sitting in one of the adult-sized chairs in the office, not looking the least bit like a kid in trouble, but rather enjoying his time. His feet swayed merrily and his eyes lit up seeing Peter walk through the double doors.

Peter came into the office, standing over him with his arms crossed. Ben looked up at him with a smile, the same smile Wade managed to have every time Peter caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. Like playing with his swords in the basement.

“I wouldn’t be grinning if I were you, young man,” Peter said sternly. “Principal Bailey says you were fighting. Again.”

Ben shrugged. “Raymond pushed Gilda off the swing set and made her cry. He was being mean. I made him stop being mean.”

Peter knelt down in front of him. “Fighting isn’t the answer, Ben. It’s never the answer.”

“But--”

“No buts.” Peter stood and held out his hand. “You’ve been suspended for a week. Get your things.”

Later that night, when Wade came through the door smelling like singed cloth and gunpowder, Peter was waiting for him in the foyer. Wade ignored the annoyed look in his eyes and kissed him on the cheek before saying, “I’m in trouble, aren’t I.”

“Your son got suspended from school today,” Peter said, glaring.

Wade laughed. “Why is he always my son when he gets in trouble?”

“He’s in Kindergarten, Wade. He was suspended. From. Kindergarten.” Peter shook his head.

“For what?” Wade asked, still chuckling.

“Fighting,” Peter answered. “He gave another little boy a black eye. His parents are sending us the doctor’s bill, and Principal Bailey wants to have a conference with us before he can return to school.”

Wade sighed. “Peter, he’s a little boy. Little boys fight.”

Peter’s eyes went wide. “Wade! No. That’s… No. We’re not going to excuse his behavior based off of some dominant male monkey attitude.”

“Baby boy…” Wade started, but Peter cut him off.

“No. I’m mad about this, Wade.” Peter shook his head. “I need you to be on my side with this. We can’t condone bad behavior.”

Wade frowned and nodded. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”

Peter jabbed a finger in Wade’s chest. “No excusing bad behavior. I don’t ever want to hear about him fighting again.”

“Yes, sweetums,” Wade said with a half smile. “Can I get a real welcome-home kiss now?”

“Yes,” Peter said as he slipped his arms around the ex-merc’s waist.

***

Ben was in his bedroom, sitting on the floor with a coloring book in his lap. He looked up when Wade came through the door, quickly abandoning his crayon masterpiece in favor of leaping up into Wade’s arms.

“Missed you, punkin’,” Wade said as he kissed the boy on his chubby cheek.

Ben frowned. “Daddy says I’m in trouble.”

“And you are,” Wade said as he sat on the bed, arranging Ben on his knee. “Fighting…” He took a deep breath, trying to formulate his words. He wasn’t good at these talks, but Peter insisted that he try. “You’re not supposed to fight. Not unless it’s really important. Like… I don’t know, life or death.”

Ben’s brow scrunched.

“Like Captain America, you know?” Wade said with a shrug. “He doesn’t just go around fighting with normal people. He fights bad people. And yeah, Raymond shouldn’t have pushed Gilda. That was bad of him, but you don’t make things better by starting fights. And… You’re a lot stronger than other kids. You could have really hurt him.”

Ben’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

Wade brushed the tears from his cheeks, trying not to feel like an asshole for making the kid cry. This is why he hated these talks. “You just gotta know how to pick your fights, okay punkin’? You don’t just fight for no reason. Some kid pushes another kid, go tell your teacher. Stuff like that she can handle. But someone tries to hurt you? Like an adult? Or you see someone trying to hurt one of your friends, that’s when you fight. And you shout and you make a scene, and you throw all your strength into it.”

Ben nodded. “Okay.” He looked up at Wade with his big, wet eyes. “Are you mad at me, Dad?”

“Hell no,” Wade said with a smile. “You’re my little punkin, I can’t be mad at you. Doesn’t mean that your dear Daddy isn’t going to take away cartoons for a week, though.”

“Awww,” Ben said, lip pooching out again.

Wade chuckled. “Gotta pay the piper.” He stood up, keeping Ben on his hip. “You wanna help me make dinner?”

Ben nodded, and the two headed back down the stairs. Peter was sitting at the kitchen table, typing on his laptop. He looked at the two of them and smiled.

“Get things sorted out?” Peter asked.

“Yes,” Ben said as Wade let him down. “Fighting is bad, unless it’s life or death. Like Captain America.”

Peter sighed and looked up at Wade, who just shrugged. “Yeah. We’ll go with that.”

***

Dinner was quick and simple, spaghetti and meatballs. Wade put Ben in charge of balling up the meatball mix and placing it on the baking sheet. By the time they were finished, Ben had meatball mix up to his elbows, in his hair, and on his chin. Wade couldn’t swear that he didn’t take a bite of it. Every now and then, he was really happy the kid had his healing factor, otherwise poison control would need to be on speed dial.

Wade helped clean him up, then handed him the plates to set the table. Peter enjoyed watching the ex-merc do all these domestic things with their son. Every day, he was amazed and awed by how caring and gentle he could be with Ben. More than once, Wade had told Peter that he had a lot of bad to make up for, and in Peter’s opinion, he was on his way to sainthood.

After dinner, Peter took Ben upstairs to put him in the shower and scrub the meatball mix out of his hair. Thoroughly scrubbed and in his Iron Man pajamas, the three settled into Ben’s bed for nightly story time. This night, they picked Green Eggs and Ham, and Ben insisted on reading this time with Peter helping him sound out the words he didn’t know. Halfway through the book, Ben’s words started slurring, and his head nodded forward.

“Just like his daddy,” Wade said as he scooted Ben up on his pillow. “Always falling asleep with his nose in a book.”

Peter smiled as Wade slipped an arm around his shoulders. “He’s definitely our son.”

They headed downstairs to the living room, settling in on the couch to catch up on their DVR shows, starting with The Walking Dead. Wade slouched against the arm of the sofa, one leg stretched out, the other on the floor, with Peter lounging against his chest.

“You know what this weekend is, don’t ya?” Wade asked during the first commercial break.

Peter looked up at him, for a moment confused until his eyes went wide. “Wow! I almost forgot.”

“See, this is proof I’m the romantic in the house,” Wade said as he kissed Peter’s hair. “Fifth anniversary. Five years, baby boy.”

Peter grinned. “You are the romantic. But I did make reservations for us at that little italian place you love so much.”

“Awww, Petey, you do love me,” Wade said with a giggle. He leaned down to Peter’s ear, and in that gunpowder and dust voice, whispered, “Maybe we can ask Aunt May to watch Ben. Get a hotel for a night. _Je vais faire une carte de votre corps avec ma langue_.”

A shiver ran through Peter’s body as he pulled Wade into a kiss. He was soon straddling the ex-merc’s lap, Wade’s hands gripping Peter’s firm ass as he plundered his mouth. They were both panting, hands roaming. Then Wade lifted Peter off the couch and carried him to the stairs.

Once in their bedroom with the door securely closed, because god knows they didn’t want another one of those incidents, Wade and Peter made quick work of discarding their clothes. Since becoming parents, they had mastered the art of silent, quick sex. Although, Wade had every intention of having an Olympic style sex marathon over the weekend. This night, ten minutes later, they both flopped on their backs on their king-size bed, sated and smiling.  

“You should call in tomorrow,” Peter said, his hand rubbing Wade’s forearm. “I don’t have class. You, me, and Ben can go do something together. Strictly educational, of course, because he’s suspended, but something…”

Wade grinned. “You askin’ me to play hookie?”

“Yes,” Peter said, eyes shining in the dimly lit room.

Wade smiled. “Professor, I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you.”

Peter opened his mouth to say something else, when suddenly his Spidey Senses started tingling. He jumped up from the bed and said, “Red alert!”

Wade quickly pulled on his pajama pants, and checked that Peter was dressed before opening the door, finding Ben standing there with his lip pooched out, clutching his Spiderman plushie in his little fist.

“What’s wrong, little man?” Wade asked as he scooped the boy up in his arms.

Ben pressed his face into Wade’s shoulder, and in a tiny, frightened voice, said, “I had a bad dream.”

Wade could feel his little body shaking. He carried him over to the bed, sitting down beside Peter. “What was your dream about, punkin?”

“Bad people wanted to take me away,” Ben said, his voice muffled into Wade’s shoulder.

Wade held him a little tighter as Peter scooted closer and put a hand on Ben’s back. “That’s never gonna happen, Ben. Never. Okay? Anyone tries to take you will have to deal with me and dad.”

Ben sniffed, and Wade could feel the moisture on his skin. He held him up so they were face to face, eye to eye. “You don’t have to be scared of anything, baby. Nothing. Cuz we’re gonna protect you, forever and always. Okay?”

The little boy nodded, a frown still on his face. “But what if it’s like the dream about the zoo?”

Peter looked at Wade, a question in his eyes. Wade shrugged, and asked, “What do you mean?”

“I dreamed about the lion cubs and the monkey escaping, and then when Aunt May took me to the zoo, there were lion cubs and a monkey escaped,” Ben explained in a rush.

Wade sighed. “Dreaming about lion cubs and seeing lion cubs at the zoo isn’t the same.”

“But what if it is?” Ben said, and Wade’s heart clenched seeing the fear in his eyes.

Wade hugged him tight. “Not gonna happen, punkin. Never gonna happen. I’ll…” _rip them apart, tear them to pieces, make them wish they were never born_ … “I’ll always keep you safe.”

Ben nodded, but still looked scared. “Can I…” He looked down. “I don’t want to sleep in my room.”

“Okay, buddy,” Wade said.

Peter pulled back the covers, and the three of them got in bed with Ben laying between Wade and Peter. It wasn’t long before he was fast asleep.

Wade propped himself up on his elbow, and said, “He’s had other dreams like that. Dreams that came true, I mean. But it was always silly stuff. Like dreaming that something broke or…”

“He has the X-gene,” Peter said, looking worriedly at Wade. “What if he’s telepathic or psychic or…”

“Nobody’s gonna take our son,” Wade said firmly. “Ain’t gonna happen, baby boy.”

Though Wade sounded certain, neither he nor Peter slept very well that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Je vais faire une carte de votre corps avec ma langue - I'll make a map of your body with my tongue (Because Wade is seductive like that).
> 
> Yeah, so I lied when I said the story was over. That little Epilogue I wrote caused plot bunnies to have babies. You know how plot bunnies are. Anyway, fair warning, this may not be the fluff fest of the first story. Just so you know.


	2. Not Taking Any Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wade learns about a security breach.

Wade woke with a start the next morning. The dim light of early morning was peeking through the window as he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to remember what he was dreaming about. It had been a long time since he had bad nightmares. They seemed to go away after Ben was born, or at least lessened to the point it was only a couple times a year he woke screaming.

He looked at his husband, fast asleep with Ben’s foot pressed against his cheek. Wade smiled, leaning down to kiss both of them on the forehead before getting up and heading to the bathroom for a shower. It was too early to wake Ben or Peter, so he stealthily headed downstairs to start a pot of coffee. With steaming cup in hand, he sat at the table and picked up his tablet to check messages and maybe play a round of Angry Birds: Star Wars.

There was an exclamation point beside the S.H.I.E.L.D. icon, which usually meant an emergency situation. Wade opened the tab, frowning as he read the text, his heart starting to pound in his ribcage.

Wade rushed upstairs, and doing his best not to wake Ben, coaxed Peter out of sleep.

Peter’s face was scrunched as he rubbed his eyes, but became alert upon seeing the look on his husband’s face.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered.

“Somebody tried to kidnap Hank Pym’s kid last night,” Wade said in a low tone.

“What?” Peter gasped.

“I gotta go in to work,” Wade said, voice annoyed. “I need you to stay close to Ben. Don’t let him outta your sight. I’m gonna have the stooge stick around here, keep extra eyes on the place. I’m not taking any chances.”

Peter nodded. “Okay, Wade.”

Wade kissed him, pulling Peter tight against his chest. “I’ll be home as soon as I can. Sorry about not playing hookie, baby boy.”

“I love you, Wade,” Peter whispered in the ex-merc’s ear.

“Love you too.” Wade kissed him once more, then kissed Ben’s cheek before heading back downstairs.

Agent Trenton, the stooge, was just pulling up in front of the house when Wade walked out.

Wade had that command and conquer tone as he said, “Nobody comes in this house. No one. Anything suspicious happens, you call me immediately. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Trenton answered with a sharp nod. Then asked, “Uh, sir? How are you getting to the office?”

Wade pulled back the sleeve of his hoodie, revealing his teleportation device. He smirked as he pushed the button, vanishing with a loud snap.

He materialized in side alley next to Headquarters, and quickly walked inside where he was met by none other than Phil Coulson.

“We need to talk,” Phil said, motioning him towards the elevators.

“Yeah we do,” Wade replied, following. Once in the elevator, he asked, “Was Hank’s kid the only one?”

“No. There are others,” Phil answered, handing Wade a folder. “There was an attempt on Franklin and Valeria Richards, Reed’s kids, and Ollie Raven.”

“Rogue’s kid?” Wade asked, brow furrowed.

“Yeah.” Phil leaned against the wall. “It was a coordinated attack, all happening at exactly 9 o’clock last night. They were not successful, but none of the assailants were apprehended either and all managed to breach security at Avenger’s Tower, the Baxter Building, and the Jean Grey School.”

Wade frowned. 9 o’clock was about the same time that Ben knocked on the bedroom door last night. “What else, Coulson?”

“About a month ago, somebody managed to hack into our systems,” Phil answered, looking annoyed. “The data taken was highly encrypted using an advanced algorithm developed by Stark Industries. It was supposed to be unbreakable without the proper AI.”

“What kind of data?” Wade asked, his voice deepening as his eyes narrowed.

Phil sighed heavily. “The names and locations of every superhero, mutant, and their families, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives and their assignments.”

Wade’s face twisted in anger. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me, man? Why the fuck wasn’t I notified about this sooner? Why wasn’t everyone notified? How the fuck… What the fuck were you thinking keeping this shit silent!”

Phil held up a hand. “It wasn’t my call. The only person who knew directly was a handful of analysts and Director Hill.”

Wade shook his head. “This is bullshit, Coulson.”

“I know. I agree. I’m furious,” Phil said, his face and voice still as calm as still water. “

“My son…” Wade paused, not sure if he should reveal to Phil Coulson that his son was having precognitive dreams. He looked at the cameras staring back at him, then looked at Phil. His jaw tensed. “Who’s working on this?”

“Everyone,” Phil answered as the elevator doors opened.

By everyone, Coulson meant literally every single person available from S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark Industries, the Avengers, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, and even the Brotherhood. Nothing like a common threat to bring everyone together, Wade mused as he wove his way through the throngs of people.

When Wade finally left for the day, it was well past dark. There was a chill in the air as he walked down the side alley and dialed in his home coordinates. He was just about to press the activation switch when he heard footsteps behind him.

“You’re getting sloppy, Wolvie,” Wade said as he turned around.

Logan shrugged. “Figured you’d be more outta practice, being all domestic and all.”

Wade smirked. “I’m not the one that needs to be house trained.”

“Still think you’re funny, don’tcha, bub,” Logan growled. Then his face split in a grin as he slapped Wade’s shoulder. “How’s life treating you?”

“Good, mostly,” Wade answered with a shrug. “You know about this kidnapping thing?”

Logan nodded. “Yeah. Kinda hit home when one of my grandkids was almost taken.”

Wade snorted. “Oh shit. Did Daken let them live?”

“They got away,” Logan said with a frown, his hands tensed like he wanted to claw something. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but I don’t think this was an actual attempt. I think this was a trial run.”

Wade nodded. “Kind of my thoughts. I’ve been on the other side of this shit. Sometimes you need to test out your plan before you put it in action.”

Logan nodded, then asked, “How’s your boy doin’? Ain’t seen him since before you guys moved out of the Tower.”

“Good, mostly.” Wade smiled, and said, “He just got suspended from Kindergarten for fighting. Kinda wish he wasn’t so much like me at times. Really smart, though. He’s ahead of most of his classmates. Peter’s got him doing math at 5th grade level. Kinda freaks me out sometimes.”

Logan smiled hearing the ex-merc talk. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.”

“It’s all Peter’s fault,” Wade said with a laugh. “Guy doesn’t let me have bad habits.”

“The world needs to send Peter a Thank You note.” Logan sighed, looking around. “Anyway, you’re probably eager to get home. I won’t keep you. Good to see you, Wade.”

“You too, man,” Wade said as they shook hands.

Logan added, “You need anything, call me.”

“Will do.”

With that, Logan left the alley, and Wade teleported back to the little townhouse. A warm feeling spread through him, seeing Peter and Ben through the living room windows. Ben nearly tackled Wade when he came through the door. Wade hugged him tight and kissed his hair.

“Daddy wouldn’t let me play outside,” Ben said with a pouty face.

Wade smiled. “That’s because it smells bad outside today. We don’t want you to stink.”

Ben giggled. “You stink.”

“That’s because I was outside,” Wade said, giving him another squeeze before setting him down on the floor. Peter was leaning against the wall, looking worried, and Wade pulled him into a hug.

“What did you find out?” Peter asked softly.

“I’ll tell you when little punkin’s asleep,” Wade answered.

Agent Trenton walked to the entryway, and said, “Am I relieved of duty, sir?”

“Yes, stooge. You may depart,” Wade said with a smirk.

Dinner was ready and waiting in the kitchen. Frozen pizza and breadsticks. Peter wasn’t much of a cook, thus his culinary offerings were never so elaborate as Wade’s, but Wade never complained.

While Peter took care of Ben’s nightly shower, Wade went around the house, double and triple checking that all the windows were locked and secured. He tested the alarm system, making sure that all sensors were working properly.

Once Ben was asleep and Peter was in the shower, Wade went down to the basement, where he went to work meticulously cleaning his guns. All of his guns, which amounted to a small arsenal. He was just starting to sharpen his katanas when he heard footsteps on the stairs.

“What are you doing, Wade,” Peter said from the stairs, arms crossed looking thoroughly disappointed.

Wade sighed, setting aside his whetstone. “Last night, there were nine attempts to kidnap the kids of supers and mutants. The people responsible got into the Baxter Building, the Tower, and Jean Grey’s school. I’m not taking any chances, Peter.”

Peter walked down to stand beside the ex-merc, resting a hand on his muscular shoulder. “He’s safe with us, Wade.”

 

 **  
**“They tried to take Daken’s kid,” Wade answered. “Daken, who makes me seem emotionally stable.” Wade looked down at the gleaming blade, and repeated, “I’m not taking any chances.” **  
**


	3. Happy Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wade and Peter go out for the anniversary. What could go wrong with Captain America and Aunt May babysitting?

Aunt May was waiting at the door when Peter and Wade walked up, Ben dangling from their arms like the little monkey he was. Both Wade and Peter were dressed in black suits, Peter with a dark blue shirt and striped tie, Wade wearing blood red with a skinny black tie. She smiled, kneeling down to scoop up her great-nephew. It was only belatedly that she noticed Agent Trenton walking behind them.

“Who’s your friend?” May asked, gesturing to the agent.

“That’s dad’s stooge,” Ben answered.

May’s brow scrunched as she laughed. She looked at Peter and Wade. “Is there something I should know?”

“Just thought you guys could use some company,” Peter said with a look that communicated there was more to the story.

May smiled at Ben, and said, “There’s fresh cookies on the table. Why don’t you go grab one, and I’ll be there in a minute?”

Ben beamed a smile, squirming to get out of her arms, then took off like a shot to the kitchen. May turned back to Peter and Wade. “Okay, spill it.”

“There has been a rash of attempted kidnappings,” Peter said with a frown. “Targeting the kids of superheroes. We just want Agent Trenton here as a precaution. We’ll be back to pick up Ben tonight.”

“You do know that Cap is coming over,” May said with a smirk. “You can go ahead and enjoy your anniversary. Between Steve and your stooge, I think we’ll be fine for the night.”

Wade shook his head. “I don’t even want to go out for dinner tonight, but…”

“There’s always danger, sweetheart,” May said with a soft smile as she patted Wade’s arm. “But nothing is going to happen to Ben. Not while he’s under my care.”

“I know,” Wade said, feeling anxious. He trusted Aunt May as much as he trusted Peter. She was the kindest, wisest, toughest woman he’d ever met.

Peter held Wade’s hand, and said, “We just want to be cautious. Once all this has been resolved, we’ll cash in on a weekend away.”

May pulled them both into a hug. “Okay. I’ll keep you both updated on everything while you’re at dinner.”

“Thanks, Miss May,” Wade said softly.

After Wade went around, double checking the doors and windows, pointing out weak points for Agent Trenton to keep an eye on, he and Peter said their goodbyes. Ben was already coated in smears of chocolate chips and on the cusp of a serious sugar high.

They walked down the sidewalk to their waiting taxi. Peter squeezed Wade’s hand and said, “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Wade put an arm around his waist. “I know, baby boy.”

***

The little italian restaurant was a hole in the wall location, a place you’d only know about if you spent all of your time patrolling the streets or someone happened to mention it. It was dimly lit by antique Tiffany lamps and dripping candles in red votives. Peter and Wade were in the corner booth, secluded and smiling at each other.

It took a bit, but after getting several reports from Aunt May, along with a picture of Steve Rogers playing airplane with Ben in the back yard, Wade started to relax. He had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, arm around Peter as he poured another glass of wine. The food service wasn’t very fast, but they were quick with the wine bottles.

Wade clinked his glass against Peter’s, and said, “Thanks for putting up with me for the last five years.”

Peter kissed his rough cheek. “Thanks for being the best husband and most amazing father on Earth.”

They sipped their wine and exchanged slow kisses, not giving a damn if anyone saw them. Wade enjoyed the taste of Peter’s mouth, the flavor of toothpaste, wine and garlic bread. He nuzzled against Peter’s neck, kissing that spot behind his ear that always made Peter shiver. Peter bit his lip, stifling back a moan.

_“Ich möchte dich ins Bett nehmen und zeige dich den Möglichkeiten, dass ich Freude zu dir bringen kann_ ,” Wade said against his ear.

Peter laughed, and looked at the ex-merc. “Seriously, everything you say in German sounds like a threat.”

“Maybe it was,” Wade said, his eyes shining with mischief. “ _Wir werden Spinne und Fliege spielen_.”

“You said spider. I caught that one,” Peter said with delight.

Wade grinned.

The food arrived, and they ate slowly, occasionally feeding bites to each other and exchanging sauce-flavored kisses between bites and sips of wine. By the time dinner was over, they had consumed two bottles and were laughing a little loud and not giving a damn about the people who stared as they made out on the corner while they waited for their cab.

Wade handed the cabby two hundred-dollar bills, and asked that he turn up the music and close the middle window. The cabby didn’t ask questions, and did what he was told. Once they were secluded, Wade pulled Peter into his lap, hands deftly unbuckling Peter’s belt. Peter made quick work of unzipping Wade’s trousers, stroking the ex-merc to full hardness with a few quick motions of his wrist.

“Turn around,” Wade said, his voice a low vibration against Peter’s neck.

Peter complied, pushing his pants down to his ankles as Wade slouched down in the seat, gripping Peter’s ass with both hands. Peter couldn’t hold back the moan at the feel of Wade’s tongue against his hole. He gripped the door, bracing himself on the back of the seat as Wade slid a slicked up finger into him.

“Fuck, Wade,” Peter gasped, looking over his shoulder. “You brought lube to dinner?”

Wade gave him an evil grin. “I’m always prepared, baby boy.”

Another finger joined the first, and Wade curled his fingers just right, finding that sweet spot that made Peter moan like a porn star. He worked his hips against Wade’s hand, face slack and sweaty as he reached down to stroke his cock.

“Fuck me, Wade,” Peter gasped.

Wade didn’t waste any time, withdrawing his fingers and slicking himself up before guiding Peter’s ass down onto his cock. Peter let out a long moan as he lowered himself down, Wade letting out a hissing breath through his teeth.

Wade gripped his hips, whispering, “Goddamn, baby boy. So fucking tight.”

Using the handle above the door for leverage, Peter started to ride Wade’s cock, moving his hips in a tight orbit that left the ex-merc panting as his hips drove up to meet each motion. Between Peter’s movements and the bump and sway of the cab, this was turning into the best sex either man had had in a long time.

Wade wrapped his arms around Peter’s waist, pulling him back against his chest, his hand finding Peter’s cock. He stroked in time with each shallow thrust, nipping at the back of Peter’s neck and whispering, “So fucking beautiful, so perfect. God, I fucking love you, baby boy.”

Peter moaned, arching back to catch Wade’s lips. They were both close, so close as they panted into each other’s mouths. Then the cab hit a railroad track, the sudden jarring sending Wade deep and Peter over the edge. A couple more thrusts and Wade came with a wicked grin on his face, hand still stroking Peter through the aftershocks.

“Goddamn,” Wade said, breathless.

Peter licked his lips and whispered hoarsely, “Fucking amazing.”

To go along with the lube, Wade had a package of wet naps in his pocket, and Peter realized that the merc probably planned this out. He couldn’t stop smiling as they cleaned themselves and got back in their clothes. Peter hadn’t had sex in a car since he was a teenager, and he didn’t recall it ever being this good.

By the time the cab pulled up in front of Aunt May’s house, they were completely composed. Wade gave the cabby another hundred, adding with a smirk, “For the mess.”

The cabby didn’t seem to care.

Hand in hand, they walked up the sidewalk, pausing a couple times to exchange kisses before they made it to the porch. The lights were on in the house, and they could hear the TV as Peter pressed the doorbell. When they didn’t hear footsteps, Peter pressed the button again.

That was when Peter felt it, the tingling sensation. He probably would have felt it much sooner if he wasn’t still half drunk and buzzing on the afterglow.

Wade saw it the moment Peter looked at him. The ex-merc threw his shoulder into the door, and both men froze seeing the way the living room had been destroyed. And blood. There were bloody bootprints on the in the kitchen. And little foot prints. Ben’s footprints.

“Ben!” Wade shouted as he rushed through the house. Every room was the same, as if a big fight had happened. But there was no one in sight. No one, just blood on the walls and on the floor.

There was a thump, and both Peter and Wade rushed towards the basement door. There, laying at the bottom of the stairs at an odd angle, was Steve Rogers. His arm was twisted behind his back, three oozing bullet wounds in his chest. He was still alive, but barely.

Wade vaulted down the stairs, landing beside Cap in a crouch. “What happened?”

“Trenton...took Ben,” Cap gasped.

“Aunt May?” Wade asked.

“I...I don’t…” And with that, Steve fell unconscious.

***

Aunt May woke with a splitting headache in a dimly lit room. She sat up a little too fast, momentarily dizzy, eyes scanning for Ben. Thankfully, he on a small cot on the other side of the room. She rushed over to him, but Ben didn’t even look at her. He was dazed, his little face stained with tears.

May pulled him into her lap, holding him secure against her chest. The details of the attack were hazy, but she clearly remembered Steve being shot. She remembered being dragged out of the house.

Ben looked up at May. “I dreamed this. I tried to tell daddy and dad, but...”

“It’s okay, baby,” she said, kissing his forehead. “Don’t worry. Your dads are coming for you, okay? We’re going to be fine. Don’t you ever doubt that, okay?”

 

 **  
**Ben’s face crumpled as he started to sob. May smoothed his hair and kissed his forehead. She wasn’t afraid for herself. Nor was she afraid for Ben. She had no doubt that help was on the way. The only people who had anything to fear were the idiots who dared to mess with Spiderman and Deadpool’s family. **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ich möchte dich ins Bett nehmen und zeige dich den Möglichkeiten, dass ich Freude zu dir bringen kann -- I want to take you to bed, and show you all the ways I can bring you joy. (Thanks for the correction, Amy Gorham). :D
> 
> Wir werden Spinne und Fliege spielen -- We will play Spider and Fly.


	4. Old Friends and Gadgets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Wade suit up in their old gear and contact some old friends.

Wade held it together until Cap was safely in the hands of the paramedics. He held it together while Peter talked to the police. But once he stepped into the front door of their house with no little punkin running down the stairs, knowing there would be no goodnight hugs or...or...

“I’m fucking useless. Can’t protect… I knew… I… FUCK!” With an anguished growl, Wade slammed his first into the wall hard enough to break bone and board. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the throbbing in his heart. For a moment, he stood against the wall, his mind blank but for the promise he'd made only a few days ago.  I'll always keep you safe.

Peter was at his side and put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort, but Wade shrugged him off. 

That's when the fury hit. He shoved away from the wall and headed straight to the basement, discarding his suit on the stairs and immediately opening the cabinet holding his red and black costume. He was just zipping the front of the top when Peter came down the stairs.

"I don't want to hear your disapproval," Wade said in a dark voice, snapping the black collar in place. "I'm not going to sit here and wait to hear from the fucking cops or S.H.I.E.L.D. or anyone else while Ben's missing. I’ll hack my way through every fucking douchebag in this city, in the fucking world if I have to. But I’m not going to wait."

Peter bent down and picked up Wade's shoulder holster, handing it to the merc before grabbing his spandex Spiderman suit. "We need to get to Avengers Tower."

Wade looked at him, the red mask scrunched. "Why?"

Peter gave a test shot of webbing across the room, and said, "Because I tagged all of Ben's clothes with spider tracers the day you told me about these kidnapping attempts, and i need Tony’s computer to track them."

For a moment, Wade was frozen. “Seriously?”  

“Abso-fucking-lutely serious,” Peter said in a flat voice.

Wade immediately pulled Peter into a tight hug. "You are brilliant and perfect and I don't deserve you."

It took less than five minutes for them to get completely suited up and out the door. Wade had his katanas, six handguns, a machine gun slung across his back, multiple ammo belts, and more knives than Peter could count. He hadn’t seen Wade geared like this in a long, long time. He’d almost forgotten how intimidating Deadpool could be, or (had the situation not been so dire) how dead sexy the merc was. 

Though Peter’s enhanced strength and Spidey metabolism had kept his body in shape, by the time he and Wade reached Avengers Tower, his arms were tired from swinging. And Wade, 

despite the severity of the situation, still managed to pop wood when they were mid flight, just like he always did when riding on Peter’s back. 

When Peter noticed, he looked at Wade, and Wade just said, “It’s got a mind of its own, Spidey.”

Peter shook his head as they crawled along the side of the building, finally reaching the common room window. He was just about to open it when Wade stopped him, seeing the group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents inside. 

“We can’t tell them about the tracers,” Wade said in a low voice. 

For a moment, Peter was confused. Then he gasped, “Fucking Trenton.” If he was compromised, then the rest of them might be too. Peter was having flashbacks to the S.H.I.E.L.D.-Hydra debachel. 

“I need Tony’s computers,” Peter grumbled. “This…”

“Do you need Tony’s computers or do you need a really powerful computer, that isn’t necessarily Stark controlled?” Wade asked. 

Peter knew he was getting at something. “Powerful computer?”

Wade grabbed an obscure looking cellphone out of his pouch. It was a dinosaur compared to the ones they used on a regular basis, but amazingly the battery was still charged. When Peter saw the name beside the number Wade was calling, he gave the ex-merc an incredulous look that managed to bleed through his mask. 

“Seriously?” Peter said in a flat voice.

Wade shrugged as he put the phone up to his ear. “Just cuz he’s named Weasel doesn’t mean he’s not useful.”

The phone rang twice, and Weasel answered warily, “Uh...Hello?”

“You’ve not heard from me in half a fuckin’ decade, and that’s how you greet me?” Wade said.

There was a long pause, and finally Weasel said, “Is that you ‘Pool?”

“Of course it’s me.” Wade leaned against the window, crossing his boots on the ledge as casually as someone would on a street and not on a piece of metal six inches wide, 100 stories in the air. “Please tell me you’re back in New York.”

“I...am…” Weasel cleared his throat. “Look, Wade, what’s the deal? What do you need?”

“I need help, Weas, and right now, you’re the only person I trust to help me,” Wade answered with a sigh. 

Weasel could pick up the note of desperation. “Just get over here.”

Weasel, otherwise known as Jack Hammer (no shit, that’s his name), lived just across the bridge in a small apartment that he used to share with Wade back in the 90’s. That was before Wade and he had a bit of a schism over a few lies that almost cost Wade and Cable their lives. Then there was the whole Las Vegas thing, and generally, their relationship had suffered. 

But when Wade and Peter came through the window, Weasel was either too scared to try and exact revenge--or even speak of their past issues--or he simply understood that for Wade to contact him after so long, something was really wrong. Truth was, since Deadpool dropped out of the mercenary world, things for Weasel had kind of gone downhill. Wade was his top paying customer, always needing new gadgets or weapons or intel. Wade trusted him, knew his abilities, where most others doubted him (usually based off his association with the Merc with a Mouth).

There wasn’t time wasted on catching up or the typical back slapping, how’s-it-hanging banter that Wade usually enjoyed when finding an old acquaintance. Wade was all business, telling Weasel that they needed to use his computers, emphasizing that not a word was to be uttered about their presence. 

It only took Peter a few minutes to access the tracer’s signal. This was after hacking into several databases and sensor systems that only a handful of people even knew existed, which thoroughly impressed Weasel. 

Turns out, Peter had a lot of tracers that were unaccounted for. The little devices kind of had minds of their own in the beginning, and ended up in odd places. However, the ones that Peter used on Ben’s clothing were easy to identify. 

Weasel swallowed hard, and said as he pointed back and forth from Wade to Peter, “You two have a kid?”

“Didn’t I send you an invitation to the baby shower?” Wade said, head cocked.

“I thought that was a joke,” Weasel said with half a laugh. “I spent three days trying to decrypt it.”

“No joke. We had a baby. Pet--Spiderman actually gave birth,” Wade said, adding with air quotes,  “Aliens.”

Weasel nodded. “Sounds about right.”

Peter raised his hand. “I don’t think we can do this solo, Wade. Look.”

Wade walked to the computer, studying the schematic that Peter had brought up on the screen. It showed a very detailed layout of the facility, all thanks to Peter’s trusty spider tracers. There were many rooms and halls, as well as many energy signatures that indicated people. Some moved in a regular route, probably guards. Others were stationary, probably prisoners.

The signal was coming from Ohio, in an isolated area far away from any town. Peter’s brow scrunched. “Why would…”

“Fuck,” Wade growled.

Both Peter and Weasel simultaneously said, “What?”

“That’s an old Weapon X facility,” Wade answered, a frightening amount of panic in his voice. 

“Huh?” Weasel said, just as Peter said, “You’ve got to be…”

“This isn’t my joking face,” he said as he sat on the dingy couch, gripping his head with his hands. 

All he could see was that stinking pool of corpses, remembering the way the bodies moved under his boots as he frantically searched for the body of his daughter, slowly sinking into the mud and mire, screaming until his voice was gone. That place, those dead faces still haunted his nightmares. And that Ben, sweet doe-eyed Ben, who slurps his spaghetti just to see where the end of the noodle will strike his forehead, who sings along with Wade's Patsy Cline renditions, who can't sleep without a bedtime story and ten goodnight kisses, who has been the reason for every breath of joy Wade has known since the day he was born. His heart and soul...

The white eyes of his mask narrowed as he said, “This shouldn't... He's... I'm...  I’m going to kill them, Peter. I’m going to kill every single one of them who dared to touch Ben. I can't... I can't lose him like I lost Ellie."

Peter pulled off his mask and knelt down in front of Wade. "We're going to get him back," Peter said firmly. “I don’t give a fuck about the death toll this time. They took our son. They’re gonna pay.”

The fury in Peter’s voice gave Wade chills. It was always Peter telling him not to kill, to stop stabbing people, quit with the maiming and such. The fact that Peter Parker, Spiderman, champion of good since an ill-fated class trip to a laboratory was telling him that killing was on the menu? 

“Don’t worry, baby boy,” Wade said, hand coming up to touch Peter's cheek. “I don’t give a fuck about the death toll either.”

A sudden buzzing sound snapped them both back to the present, and Peter pulled his Stark Phone out of the small pocket on his pants. There was no name on the screen, just a strange series of numbers and symbols. He was about to clear it off the screen, thinking it was some kind of error, but Wade took it. He studied the text for a few seconds before saying, “We need to get to Central Park.”

“Why?” Peter asked, again looking at the seemingly random digits. 

Wade stood up as Peter slipped his mask over his head. “Because Coulson wants to meet with us.” 

Weasel’s eyes went wide behind his round glasses. “Coulson? Phil Coulson?”

Wade nodded. “He’s my boss now.”

“You work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Weasel gasped. 

Peter went to the window, opening it as Wade said, “If this wasn’t an emergency situation, I might take your incredulity as an insult, Weas. But as it stands, I don’t have the time.” 

 

  
Weasel fell silent, watching as Deadpool and Spiderman departed. As far as encounters with Wade Wilson, this one was absolutely painless. Though, he was worried. He knew Wade well enough to know when he was on the verge of breaking. When Wade broke, it wasn’t with a sob. It was with explosions.   



	5. Group Effort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wade and Peter meet up with Coulson. Meanwhile, May and Ben have their own plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of playing loose and free with the ages of the children in this story. Mainly because with Marvel Continuity, people seem to be old and young and all over the place. So if you are like a die hard X-Men fan and know for a fact that a certain child is older or probably has children of their own, just pretend this is an alternate universe where that isn't true. Because this is totally an AU. I should put that in the tags...

There were many things that could be said about Phil Coulson. He was beyond strict. He was a legend in S.H.I.E.L.D.. He was hard to kill. Incorruptible. Resourceful. And above all else, he was always one turn ahead of everyone else. That is why he had created the Code, which he only shared with a handful of heroes that he trusted. Clint Barton, Natasha, Tony Stark, Logan, Frank Castle, and amazingly, Wade Wilson.

Wade was a pain in his ass on a regular basis, but it was a fact that in a difficult situation, there was no one more dangerous to have as an enemy, or more useful to have as an ally. Wade Wilson was a one-man army even when he didn’t have a dog in the race. But right now, with his son missing, Coulson knew that if anyone would be able to get results, it would be Deadpool. 

After Coulson had personally went to the Parker-Wilson household, and found that the basement was lacking a pair of costumes and a substantial amount of weaponry, he knew that Spiderman and Deadpool were not crippled by grief. Honestly, he worried that might be the case. 

Frank Castle was the first to show up, coming out of the shadows with a shotgun on his shoulder and a scowl on his face. He wasn’t the type to have small talk. He knew enough from his contacts to know why they were gathering together. 

Next to arrive was Clint and Natasha. 

“This city isn’t easy to sneak around in tonight,” Clint said as he approached. 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Speak for yourself.”

Coulson frowned. “Sorry to insist on secrecy, but I don’t know who to trust right now. Well, with the exception of the ones coming here.”

“Well, well,” Wade said as he approached, katanas in hand. “Kinda makes my heart all warm and squishy to know I’m on your friend’s list.”

Ever calm, Coulson said, “Right now, my list of trusted allies is very few. The fact that you are on that list is, frankly, a shocking event in my life.”

“You’re not the first I’ve given a shocker.” Wade sheathed his blades. “What do you actually know?”

“Where’s Parker?” he asked, squinting. 

On cue, Peter jumped down from the tree branch. He and Wade had agreed to split up at the edge of the woods, Peter going high to keep a look out. He said, “Right here, Coulson. And as Deadpool asked, what do you know?”

“We’re still waiting on a couple people,” Coulson said. 

Suddenly, a blade was under Coulson’s chin, and Wade leaned close, white eyes narrowed to vicious slits. “I can’t emphasize enough the fact that my son has been kidnapped, and time is kinda of the essence.”

Calmly, Coulson said, “I understand, Wade. Completely. I only want to make sure we don’t have to repeat information. We’re only waiting on Logan and Stark.”

“Stand down, Wade,” Logan said as he came into the clearing. He was puffing a cigar and looking even more pissed than usual. “Got ourselves enough enemies without killing the good guys.”

Peter put a hand on Wade’s shoulder, and for a moment, Wade tensed. Then he let out a shaking breath as he sheathed the knife and stepped out of Coulson’s personal space. But for the second time that evening, Wade shrugged off Peter’s touch. Peter crossed his arms, frowning under the mask. 

“Stark’s not coming,” Logan said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Too many assholes at the Tower. Right now he’s at the hospital watching out for Cap.”

“Then I guess we’ll get started,” Coulson said. “Reports have come in that at least 53 agents have been compromised. It seems that we ended up playing right into the hand of the perpetrators by assigning agents as bodyguards. There are 46 children have been reported missing."

Peter crossed his arms, face pinched under the mask. “After everything that happened with Hydra, how the hell…” 

“That is a question I have no answer to at the moment,” Coulson said, his calm fading. "The agency barely survived last time."

"Fuck the agency," Wade said, stepping into Coulson's personal space. "The survival of my son is all I care about. And right now, he's in a fucking Weapon X shithole. I know they didn't take him there for a fucking cultural experience."

Coulson's eyes went wide.  "How do you know that?"

"Spider Tracers," Peter answered. 

“You sure it’s Weapon X?” Logan asked, the same intensity in his stance as Wade’s. 

Wade nodded. “I was there for a while. I know the place.” 

“Who’s running it, though?” Logan asked. “I thought we’d taken all those assholes out.”

“Assholes are like cockroaches,” Wade said bitterly. “Their fucking everywhere, and hard to kill.”

The team moved out without much more conversation. Thanks to having a master spy in the group, they were able to procure one of Tony Stark’s Quinjets for their use. According to Natasha, she only had to break a couple necks to get it. Coulson suspected that the death toll was actually higher. 

There wasn’t much conversation once they were in the air either, much to Peter’s dismay. Wade would not even look at him, and every time Peter attempted to touch the ex-merc -- his husband -- Wade should shrug him off and look away. 

“I know you’re pissed at me,” Peter said softly. Wade didn’t react to his voice, so he continued. “I insisted that we go out. I know you didn’t really want to. I know… I was confident that nothing would happen.” He paused a moment, and his voice was thick when he continued, “Please, just… I know that this is my fault. If we had stayed home, Ben wouldn’t have been taken. I hate myself for this.” 

Wade pulled off his mask and looked at him. “You think I’m pissed at you?”

Peter was shaking as he angrily pulled the mask from his head, his hair sticking up at odd angles. “How can you not be?”

Wade grabbed Peter’s face, pulling him close. “I’m pissed. You’re right. But not at you, baby boy.” He paused, a snarl twisting his scarred face before he continued. “I don’t want comfort. I don’t want love, because right now I can’t break. And I want to. I fucking want to, Peter. But I can’t right now. I need to stay detached. I need my heart to be hard, because I don’t know what we’re going to find when we get to this hell hole. I don’t know. But…” His voice dropped to a rumbling growl. “Love isn’t what I need right now.”

Tears blurred Peter’s vision, but he nodded. “Okay, Wade.”

“I hope you’ll forgive me when this is over,” Wade said as his hands fell away. He scrunched his mask in his hands, taking a deep, calming breath before pulling it back over his head.

Peter started to reach for him, but stopped halfway. He grabbed his mask and pulled it over his face, then got up and moved to the back of the jet so that Wade wouldn’t see him cry.

***

It took a little while, but May was able to get Ben to calm down. His tears subsided, and once they were past, he started to ask questions. A lot of questions that May wasn’t sure how to answer, at least not in a way a 5-year-old would understand.  Why did this happen? Why were we taken? Why did Trenton shoot Steve? Is Steve alive? Will Daddy and Dad find us soon? Why are we here? When can we go home?

May could hear voices coming from the other cells, echoing and distorted against the concrete walls and filtering through the small window. Soft crying, soft words of reassurance. Here and there, the sound of heavy footsteps as the guards passed. 

Then she heard a cell door open, followed by screaming and shouting. 

The longer she sat there, the angrier she got. May was never a violent person, but she was never the type to be idle in a crisis. 

“Baby,” May said, again lifting Ben on to her lap. “I need you to do something for me, and this is very important, okay?”

Ben nodded, his gaze direct. “Okay.”

“No matter what happens, you stay by my side. If I tell you to run, you run. I tell you to hide, you hide. Okay?”

Ben nodded. “Okay, Aunt May.”

A few minutes later, their cell door buzzed, and a man in a lab coat entered the room flanked by two men with guns. They were dressed in yellow suits that reminded May of beekeepers. It took a moment for her to realize that these people were with A.I.M.. 

“This is a foolish thing you are doing,” May said calmly. 

Neither the doctor nor the goons responded. The doctor opened a small tool kit, and said, “I need to take a blood sample.”

“You need to get the hell away from my nephew,” May said as she stood up, pushing Ben behind her. She studied the labcoat’s face. “You’re a very young man to be working with these terrorists. Did you fail out of medical school?”

The doctor frowned. “I didn’t fail. I…”

“You failed,” May said, eyes narrowing. “And you think I’m going to let some med-school failure touch this little boy?” She tisked. “I think not.”

The doctor made a motion, and the two armed men started towards May. In a swift move, May grabbed the barrel of the closest henchmen’s gun, pulling it out of his grasp and ramming it hard into his throat. Before the second could react, she slammed the butt of the gun into Henchmen #2’s head head. 

The doctor started to reach for Ben, but Ben jumped up on the bed and swung his little arm as hard as he could, breaking the doctor’s glasses and sending him flying into the wall. May had a moment of stunned surprise, seeing the amazing strength of such a small boy, but it passed quickly when she realized that they had to keep moving. 

May took the weapons from both of the guards, making sure to get their communicators as well. Using tubing from the doctor’s kit, she tied up all three unconscious men, and started removing the yellow outfit from one of the guards.

“What are we gonna do?” Ben asked, his eyes wide. 

May wasn’t sure what they were going to do. “We’re going to figure that out as we go, sweetheart. Remember when I said it’s important you do everything I say?”

“You say run, I run. You say hide, I hide,” Ben said, keeping his eyes on May as she zipped the A.I.M. uniform. 

“Right.” She thought about it for a moment, holding the gun across her body. “Right now, what I need you to do is to walk with me, okay? Don’t look at me, just walk beside me. Act like you’re scared, okay? Anyone talks to us, you let me do the talking.”

Ben nodded. “Like we’re escaping from the Death Star.”

“Exactly. I’m Han Solo, you’re Chewbacca,” May answered, thankful that Wade had insisted they watch those movies. Hopefully, this escape would go as well as it did in the script.

May stepped out into the hallway, doing a quick sweep checking for other personnel. It was a short hallway with six cells, and a door at the end. Only one exit could present a problem. She put a hand on Ben’s shoulder, nudging him toward the door. They made it three steps before Ben grabbed her arm. 

“What about the others?” Ben asked softly.

Though she felt terrible to even think it, May wanted to tell him to not worry about the other prisoners. She wanted to tell him that once they were out, they could go get help for everyone else. But there was a voice inside her head telling her that she would regret it if she didn’t try. 

“This is a bad idea,” May said softly as she grabbed the key card and walked to the adjacent cell. She took a deep breath and slid it through the lock. A green light flashed, and the lock disengaged.

Inside was a young girl holding a toddler. She looked up at May in absolute terror, until May removed the hood of the uniform. She held out her hand. “My name is May Parker. We’re trying to escape.”

The teen got up, and said with a thick southern accent, “I’m Ray. This is Ollie. Did our daddy send you?”

“No,” May said. “We were taken just like you.”

“We’re escaping?” Ray said, eyes showing her fear. 

“Yes. We’re escaping.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually, May was leading a group of 10 -- six small children, and three teenagers, and one other adult whom May handed a rifle and had dress in the second A.I.M. uniform. 

Now, they just had to get out of the building without anyone getting hurt. May looked at Ben, who for all the world looked absolutely fearless. She only hoped she could be the same. 

  
With a shaking hand, May opened the door. **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to get this story finished (hopefully) by the end of the week. Mainly because I'm getting geared up for NaNoWriMo, which means the the continuation of this little world of mine won't continue until after November. (I've seriously plotted out 5 more stories.) Anyway, yeah. Getting it done this week. Boom.


	6. Clearing Out the Trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team infiltrates the base with a little extra help.

The Quinjet landed with a whisper, barely stirring the tall grass at the edge of a vast field. Logan was the first to step off the ramp, nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. 

 

“That way,” he said, pointing as Wade came to his side. “We’re down-wind of them.” 

 

“Just over the hill,” Deadpool said in a menacing voice. “There’s an air vent between a couple maple trees. That’s probably our best infiltration point. It drops down in a utility area. Taking a left at the door will put you in the cells; a right takes you to the labs.”

 

Using Coulson’s tablet, Wade drew a quick schematic of the place. Peter hated knowing that the reason Wade knew the layout so well was due to his time as a tenant. He said, “We need a plan for once we’re inside.”

 

Coulson nodded. “Deadpool, Wolverine, and Punisher will go in first to clear out the trash. Spiderman, take the high route and watch their backs. Hawkey and Widow, head directly for the cells.”

 

“What about you?” Logan asked. 

 

“I’m going to coordinate the other operatives,” Coulson answered. 

 

Everyone looked at him, confused and expectant.

 

“A telepath has been in communication with me since we landed,” he answered. “There is a team of X-Men, led by Nightcrawler and Gambit. Apparently, they found this location using some sort of spell.” He paused, gripping his forehead. “Uh, they’re on their way.”

 

There was a snap, and suddenly Kurt Wagner was standing in all his blue glory. He bowed, offering Wade and Logan a smile as he said, “It is a shame that we must come together under these dreadful circumstances. It fills me with great joy that you are both here, my friends.”

 

“Who else is with you, Kurt?” Logan asked.

 

“Evan and Psylocke,” he answered. “If only Archangel and Fantomex were here, it would feel like a reunion.”

 

“Evan?” Wade said, surprised. “Why would he…?”

 

“He heard that your son was stolen,” Kurt answered. “He has a very strong affinity for you, it seems.”

 

“He’s not old enough for this, is he?” Wade said, concerned. 

 

“We could not make him stay,” Kurt answered with a shrug. “Now, we must hurry. There are many men inside, and much fear. If you wish, I could ferry you closer?”

 

“I’m always in for a BAMF! ride,” Wade said.

 

Peter had never teleported with Nightcrawler, or BAMFed as Wade called it. He found it disorienting and slightly dizzying, and he much preferred to travel via Wade’s teleportation device. He’d only done it a couple times, but it was different. Either that, or it was just that it was Wade who wrapped his arms around him and pulled him through space. 

 

Gambit, Psylocke, and Evan were waiting by the maple trees. Peter had to study Evan’s face for a moment, having never met the kid before. He was robust for a teenager, and it was undeniable that his heritage was the line of Apocalypse. Wade had only mentioned him a couple times in relation to his days with X-Force. But there was clearly warmth between the two, with the way Evan’s face lit up momentarily upon seeing Deadpool. 

 

“You ever read those books I left ya?” Wade asked with a smirk easily readable under the mask. 

 

Evan shook his head. “They were, uh, educational?”

 

Logan looked at Wade. “What the hell kind of books would you leave?”

 

“French poetry and shit,” Wade answered, which Peter translated as porn. 

 

They gathered by the air duct, and Kurt said, “I will join with Hawkeye and Widow. I will be able to remove the children most efficiently.”

 

“I’m not sensing many guards in there,” Psylocke said. “They are not highly trained in dealing with mutants. They’re not trying to block telepathy. This is going to be a piece of cake.”

 

“That’s what worries me,” Logan said with a grumble. “This hillside should be crawling, but there’s nobody.”

 

Gambit, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, said, “I call dat a blessin’, Wolvie. Less people ‘tween me and my babies, da best.”

 

Natasha squinted at Logan. “You think this is a trap?”

 

“Yeah,” Logan answered, claws coming out with a sharp snikt.

 

“Guess it’s time we spring it, eh?” Wade said as he stepped up to the vent. 

 

“‘Spect so,” Gambit said, eyes flaring with red light.

 

Evan got on the other side, and with Wade, lifted the cap off the vent. Evan looked down, then looked at Wade with a raised eyebrow. “That’s a long drop.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Evan,” Wade said as he adjusted a couple straps. “I want you to stay out here and help Kurt with the kids.”

 

Evan frowned. “Wade, I can help! I…”

 

“We don’t know what’s going to happen out here,” Wade said calmly, just like he sounds when explaining things to Ben. “But you’re strong and you can kick some serious ass if any of the bad guys show up. My son will need you out here, Ev.”

 

“I know what you’re doing,” Evan said, still frowning. But he nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay out here.”

 

Logan stepped up to the vent. “Ready?”

 

“Let’s get this party started,” Wade said. And he jumped down.

 

Deadpool landed, rolling off to the side to clear the way for Wolverine.Castle came down via spidey silk, followed shortly after by Peter. 

 

The moment Logan’s feet touched the ground, he frowned as he sniffed the air. “This place smells wrong, Wade. Not like a place that’s being used for...anything. Like they just opened it up today.”

 

Wade sniffed, and said, “Smells like the basement after that water leak.”

 

“Exactly,” Logan grumbled. “Weapon X, they always kept their facilities immaculate, even if they were run by mad men.”

 

At that moment, an alarm sounded. 

 

Wade grinned under the mask and grabbed Peter around the shoulders. “Sounds like they’re playing our song, sweetheart.” Then he kicked the utility door, leaping through the opening while drawing his katanas and shouting, “Time to dance!”

 

Things moved very fast from that point on. Goons in A.I.M. get-ups rushed them from all directions, with Wade and Logan hacking their way through the throng to the beat of Castle’s shotgun. Peter stayed up high, webbing his way across the main laboratory, swooping down and landing kicks that sent henchmen flying. 

 

Meanwhile, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Black Widow, and Hawkeye made their way towards the cells. Kurt was rapidly teleporting the children and adults found in the cells, while the rest cleared out the trash. Some of the kids they recognized, mostly by their more remarkable features. But Gambit was starting to panic, not seeing Ollie or Ray. 

 

Then they came to the second cell block, and ran into a group of children escorted by two A.I.M. agents. Gambit saw Ray, and whipped his staff against the head of the first agent, who let out a shout of agony. But a little boy jumped in front of the fallen minion. 

 

“Daddy! Don’t!” Ray shouted. “They’re friends. They’re both friends.”

 

Kurt knelt down and pulled the hood from the fallen A.I.M. agent, and Clint let out a curse. 

 

“That’s May Parker!” Clint said, knealing by her. He looked at the bruise already forming on her jaw, then at the little boy. “Ben? You’re Ben Wilson?”

 

“Parker-Wilson,” Ben said, a little panic in his voice. 

 

“I’m Hawkeye,” Clint said, holding out a hand. “I’m a friend of your dads’.”

 

“You’re an Avenger!” Ben said, eyes wide. Then he looked at Aunt May. “Is she…?”

 

May opened her eyes, looking up at Clint with a scowl, taking a moment to register where she was and why her head hurt. Then she winced, and said, “These outfits seemed like a good idea until the calvary arrived.”

 

Gambit knelt down by her, and said, “I’m so sorry, Miz Parker. Thought’chu was one’a da bad guys.”

 

“It’s okay, dear,” she said as Clint helped her up. She looked down at Ben, and said, “You okay, baby?”

 

He nodded. “The Avengers are here!”

 

May looked at Clint and Natasha, eyes asking a question. 

 

“Yeah, Deadpool and Spiderman are here, too,” Natasha answered. 

 

“What about Cap?” she asked. 

 

“At the hospital, and stable,” Clint said with a smile. He then gestured to Kurt, who had already taken the rest of the group out. “This is Nightcrawler. He’s gonna take up topside while we finish clearing this place out.”

 

May hugged Hawkeye, and said, “Thank you,” before taking Kurt’s hand. 

 

They vanished with a snap, reappearing in a large group being ushered by Phil Coulson and a large boy with gray skin. Ben saw him, and his eyes lit up. “You’re Evan!”

 

Evan looked at Ben, and said, “Uh, yeah I am. And you are?”

 

“Ben Parker-Wilson,” Ben answered, still beaming. 

 

“You’re Wade’s son, right?” Evan said, a smile curling the corner of his mouth. 

 

Ben’s eyes got wider. “You know my dad too?”

 

“We all know your dad,” Evan answered. “Come on. We’re taking you to safety. Your dads will be here soon, okay buddy?”

 

Ben took Evan’s hand, and May followed behind the group, looking over her shoulder towards the vent shaft, wondering what was happening. Really, all she cared about was that Ben was safe again. Even if her jaw felt like she’d been kicked by a mule. 

 

***

 

Once Logan received word that the cells had been cleared, and all the missing kids were accounted for, they went to work gathering up the few survivors. There weren’t very many. Mostly doctors who cowered in the corners and a few goons who dropped their guns rather than fight (or encountered Spiderman, and ended up webbed to a wall).

 

“You know, bub,” Logan said, approaching one of the doctors. “This was probably the stupidest caper in the history of villany. Kidnapping the children of superheroes? Really?”

 

The captives looked at each other, the fear palpable. 

 

“We were hired to watch the kids,” one of the guards said. He had a large gash across his side, inflicted by Deadpool. “That’s all we did.”

 

Wade grabbed the talker by the throat, lifting him up off the ground. He gagged and twisted in Deadpool’s grip as the merc said, “Who hired you?”

 

“Ackka guuuh,” was all the henchman managed before his windpipe collapsed and his neck snapped. Wade threw him against the wall, impacting with a wet splat. 

 

Wade turned his attention on the next closest henchman. “Who hired you?”

 

“We work for A.I.M.,” he answered. “We do what we’re told.”

 

“You know, I have no problem giving everyone in this room a Columbian necktie,” Wade said in a dark tone, blade going to rest against the speaker’s Adam’s apple.

 

“I…” 

 

Another raised a hand. “We’re outside contractors. We were hired via the Network. Temps.”

 

Psylocke focused on him, the latest henchman’s eyes going blank as she probed his mind. “Hmm. He’s telling the truth. They were all hired for two days.”

 

“Yes! We were only supposed to be here for two days, then the kids would be released,” one of the other doctors said. “That’s it. We were supposed to watch the kids, make sure they stayed healthy, then they would be returned. We don’t know anything else. Swear!”

 

“Then I guess there’s no reason for you to stay alive, is there?” Deadpool said as he raise his arm, readying to start beheading. Peter’s hand closed around his wrist, stopping the motion.

 

Wade looked at him, eyes narrowed. 

 

Peter said, “Our son is waiting for us outside. Let these guys deal with them.”

 

For a moment, Peter thought that Wade was going to push him away again. Instead, he sheathed the katana on his back. He was silent a moment, then said, “Guess taking a few prisoners would be useful.”

 

Logan nodded. “Go find your boy.”


	7. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben learns who his dads really are and Wade makes a new little friend.

Wade and Peter departed by the ventilation shaft, Peter going first and dropping a web down to lift Wade out. Off in the distance, they could see a second Quinjet landing. Or maybe it was one of the Blackbirds. Hard to tell at night. They started walking in silence, going towards the lights. It wasn’t long before they were both sprinting. 

 

Peter was the first to arrive. He scanned the crowd of children and caretakers, looking for the sweet, chubby face of his baby. Wade came to a stop at his side, pulling off his mask. 

 

“There,” Wade said, pointing. Peter followed his direction. His jaw dropped seeing him perched on Evan’s shoulders, little chin resting on top of the mutant’s head. 

 

They rushed through the crowd. 

 

Ben saw Wade immediately, and shouted, “Dad!” 

 

The little boy practically launched off of Evan’s shoulders and straight into Wade’s waiting arms. Wade held him close, kissing his cheeks and squeezing him tight. Peter was right there too, smoothing Ben’s ruffled hair and brushing dirt off his cheek. 

 

Ben’s eyes went wide, and he leaned to Wade’s ear. “You’re friends with Spiderman too?”

 

Peter was confused for a moment -- Doesn’t he know I’m Daddy? Then he realized he was still wearing the mask. Peter pulled the mask up, and Ben’s mouth dropped open. “It’s me, sweetie.”

 

Ben looked at Wade, and said, “Daddy’s Spiderman!”

 

Wade nodded. “Yeah, punkin. Daddy’s Spiderman.”

 

He then jumped into Peter’s arms. Peter’s face was stained with tears as he held his son tight to his chest. It took a moment to realize that Wade had his arms around both of them. The merc was shaking, and when he looked up again, his eyes were red rimmed and his face was wet. 

 

Ben’s eyes filled with tears, as he asked, “What’s wrong, dad?”

 

Wade brushed the tears off of Ben’s face, and in a voice that shook, said, “I’m just so happy, punkin’.” Ben went back to Wade, squeezing him around the neck as Wade patted his back. The tears weren’t stopping, but he was smiling. 

 

“Well, well, if it isn’t my dashing heroes.”

 

Peter’s eyes went wide just like Ben’s, seeing Aunt May standing beside them. He threw his arms around her. May squeezed him, and said, “Peter Parker, you’re gonna make me cry.”

 

“Aunt May and I were Han Solo and Chewbacca,” Ben said with a grin. “We were escaping the Death Star.”

 

Wade wiped his face on his sleeve. “What?”

 

“Oh, I just knocked out a couple guards, and led a small uprising,” May said off-handedly. She rubbed her bruised cheek, and said, “I was doing pretty good up until I met your friend, Mr. LeBeau.”

 

Wade took a closer look, brow furrowing. “Gambit did that?”

 

May patted his arm. “Now don’t you get upset. I was dressed in one of those silly A.I.M. uniforms, and his kids were with me.”

 

Gambit was with his two kids, holding little Ollie in one arm, the other around Ray’s shoulders. Wade wanted to punch him, but knew that he probably would have done the same thing. And considering how he was slashing his way through the guards, he silently thanked whatever higher deities that look after reformed mercs that he hadn’t been the one to encounter her.

 

Wade pulled her into a hug, and kissed her forehead, whispering, “Thanks, babe.”

 

“No problem, handsome,” May said with a grin.

 

The heroes in attendance had quadrupled, mostly parents who had been out investigating other leads. A lot of notables. Reed and Susan Richards, Scott Summers and Emma Frost, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, and many, many others. It was an all-star gathering that was almost mind blowing. 

 

By the time everyone was organized, the sun was starting to come up. It had been a long night, and everyone was exhausted. Wade and Peter got May and Ben settled into the Quinjet with a blanket and a couple pillows. Though it was very exciting to be surrounded by all the superheroes, Ben couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep on May’s shoulder.

 

As everyone boarded the planes, Wade noticed one little girl sitting in the grass with her arms propped on her knees. She had curly brown hair and toffee skin, wearing a dirty white t-shirt and pajama pants as if she’d been snatched out of her bed. No one seemed to be there to claim her, and Wade didn’t want her to get left behind. 

 

He walked over to her, and said, “You need to get on the plane, kiddo.”

 

She didn't look at him, and said in a barely audible voice, “What’s it matter?”

 

Wade sat down beside her, mimicking her posture. “Your family’s not here, I guess?”

 

“I don’t have a family,” she said sadly. 

 

Wade could feel his heart breaking inside. Hesitantly, he put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I’m really sorry. But you can’t stay out here alone.”

 

“Why not?” she said, face burrowing down into her arms. “No one will miss me.”

 

“That’s not true,” Wade said. “Now that I’ve met you, I’ll miss you.”

 

She looked up at him, for the first time looking at his scarred face. For a moment, Wade was a little worried he would scare her. But she didn’t flinch. She just said, “You one of the mutants?”

 

“Sort of, but not really,” Wade said. “I’m just the Merc with a Mouth.”

 

“Do other merc’s not have mouths?” she asked, golden eyes squinting. 

 

Wade chuckled. “Not like me, I guess. Mean’s I’m kind of mouthy.” He smiled, and said, “My name is Wade.” 

 

“Nice to meet you,” she said, not offering her own name. 

 

Wade didn’t care. He stood up and dusted himself off before holding out a hand. “Come on. We’ll get you on the plane, get you some breakfast, then we’ll figure out the rest, okay kiddo?”

 

She took his hand, walking at his side to the Quinjet. 

 

Peter saw them, and said, “Who’s your friend?”

 

“Kiddo,” she answered. 

 

“That’s very Kill Bill,” Wade said with a smirk as he sat down beside Peter. 

 

“You’re kind of weird,” she said with half a laugh. 

 

“It’s been said,” Wade said. “How old are you, Kiddo?”

 

“Eight,” she answered. “How come your voice sounds weird?”

 

“I have scar tissue on my vocal chords,” Wade answered. 

 

She looked around Wade, and to Peter said, “You really Spiderman?”

 

“Yes,” Peter answered. “The one and only.”

 

“How come you haven’t been superheroing?” she asked, her face scrunched. 

 

“We decided to stop after our son was born,” Peter answered, pointing to Ben who was sound asleep. 

 

She cocked her head, pointing between Wade and Peter. “You two married?”

 

“Yes,” Peter said. 

 

“That’s cool,” Kiddo said.

 

“Yesterday was actually our anniversary,” Wade said with a shy smile. “Five years together.”

 

Her look turned kind of sad, and she sat back in her seat. Wade was about to ask what was wrong, but he knew it was probably the whole lack of parents thing. So he got up and walked to the front of the jet, grabbing a blanket and one of the MRE’s from the storage bin. 

 

Wade put the blanket around Kiddo’s shoulders, and sat down to open up the MRE. She watched with interest as he prepared the warming packets, heating up what was described on the package as roast beef in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes. Wade had consumed enough MRE’s to know that they always weren’t as advertised. Though, Kiddo was very amused by the tiny bottle of tabasco sauce. 

 

“Does this go on it?” she asked, holding up the bottle.

 

“Only if you like spicy food,” Wade answered. “Personally, I always use it because this stuff’s always a little bland. But it’s pretty potent if you’re not used to it.” He studied the look on her face a moment, then said, “Put a drop on a bite of it to see if you’ll like it. If you want to try it.”

 

After folding the box into a makeshift tray and stabbing the drinkbox with the straw, he set the MRE on the girl’s lap. 

 

“Thanks, Wade,” she said with a genuine smile. 

 

Coulson came on board, and walked over to Wade and Peter. He looked at the little girl’s dinner, and said, “You need to train everyone else how to do that. Clearly, the mutants haven’t had to deal with field rations.”

 

“Are we leaving soon?” Peter asked. 

 

Phil gestured to the ramp, and said, “Actually, I need to speak with both of you outside, if you have a minute?” 

 

Peter looked at Wade, and they both got up. Wade paused a moment to touch Ben’s back, then turned to the girl, and said, “We’ll be right back, okay kiddo?”

 

“Okay,” she said around the drink box straw. She’d opted for the tabasco, and her face was warming up. 

 

“You need anything, just ask one of the other adults,” Wade said, patting her on the shoulder before they walked outside where Phil had gathered their original group, as well as Scott Summers, Reed Richards, and Luke Cage. 

 

Before anyone could ask questions, Coulson said, “I just received word that there’s been a series of attacks on the East Coast targeting weapon and biological research facilities.”

 

“So this was a trap,” Logan growled. “Cats away, the mice decided to play.”

 

“What was taken?” Summers asked. 

 

“A variety of things, all under the heading of Project 5,” Coulson answered. “I don’t know all of the details, as this is an ongoing situation, but the intel that S.H.I.E.L.D. has in its possession suggests that Project 5 is a sort of mind-control weapon that can be used to negate mutant powers as well as control large populations.”

 

“What?” Wade blurted. ‘What the hell kind of… How the hell was that allowed to be made?”

 

Coulson, ever calm, said, “I understand your outrage, Wilson, but this is something that was deemed necessary considering how often rogue segments of the mutant and super human population have attempted to overthrow the government and destroy the world.”

 

“Any clue as to who did this?” Hawkeye asked. “We know A.I.M. was part of it. They working with someone else? Hydra? ULTIMATUM? Doom?”

 

“Right now, all we know is what was taken,” Coulson answered. “We need to get in the air. We’ll meet with Director Hill once we land.”

 

“We’re not meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Summers said firmly. “This mess is on your head. Every time we trust you and your people, it always ends badly for everyone involved. This. Would. Not. Have. Happened, if not for the failings of your agency. We’ll sort this out on our own.”

 

“I tend to agree with him,” Wade said with a shrug. “I didn’t find Trenton in that shithole. Which means he and the rest of the rogues are still out there doing who the fuck knows what. I’m not going to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. with a damn thing.”

 

“What do you suggest then, Wade?” Coulson asked. “Because I honestly feel the same way right now. I don’t know who to trust. I know that I trust the people here, but I have to report to Director Hill.”

 

Peter looked at Wade before saying to the rest of the group. “We’ve all had our differences, but we’ve all been affected by this. Even without S.H.I.E.L.D., if we all work together, I bet we could get to the bottom of this.”

 

“We don’t work well with the Avengers, not after the Registration Act,” Summers said. 

 

Logan glared at him. “Speak for yourself, Cyclops. The Civil War is over.”

 

“We won’t get anywhere fighting amongst ourselves,” Natasha said cooly. “I say we decide on a rendezvous point. Take your families home, make sure they are safe and secure, then get to work to figure this out.”

 

Psylocke said, “The Avengers have avenues that we don’t. I think Peter is right. We should pool our resources.” She smiled at Natasha, and said, “Perhaps I could join you? Meet with your contacts as well. I have ways of extracting information that may be useful.”

 

“I typically work alone,” Natasha said. Then a small smile curled the corner of her mouth, “But in the name of solidarity.”

 

Wade looked at Peter, and said, “What are we going to do?”

 

“We’re going to get Ben to a safe place, first and foremost,” Peter answered. 

 

“You are most welcome to join us at the school,” Kurt said. Summers frowned at him, but didn’t object. 

 

“We’ll see,” Wade said. 

 

“Enough jaw jacking,” Logan growled. “Let’s get outta this shithole. We’ve got work to do.”


	8. Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Parker-Wilson family (plus one) goes to Tony Stark's secret compound.

During the short flight, Kiddo fell asleep against Wade’s shoulder. Though the ex-merc knew it was irrational, he couldn’t stop thinking that Ellie would be Kiddo’s age if she was still alive. The little girl even looked how Wade always pictured his daughter, with her curly brown locks and sweet smile. 

Peter said, “When we get to New York, we need to figure out who she is.”

“She says she doesn’t have a family,” Wade said softly. He frowned. “I grew up in foster homes. It’s not a good place to be.”

Once, only once, Wade told Peter about the nightmares that he lived growing up in the system. It was like so many things, just something that came out while they were watching TV and Wade was rambling about why he doesn’t like oranges, and suddenly he revealed that he had been molested as a child in a group home. Just as quickly, he switched on to why he absolutely loved chimichangas, leaving Peter with a stunned look on his face and tears in his eyes. 

Peter entwined his fingers with Wade’s, and said, “We’ll make sure that she has a good place to live. We have the connections, we might as well use them.”

Wade gave his hand a soft squeeze. “You read my mind.”

The Quinjet landed at what looked like a luxury resort. Tony Stark was someone who had a plan for every possible event. He didn’t sleep much, so he had a lot of time to think about what he would do if for some reason the entire superhero community came under attack and he just happened to be the one and only person who could save them all. Thus, he had a secret facility in the hills of West Virginia, secluded in a small mountain range that he had purchased via a few dummy corporations. It was Pepper’s idea, naturally. Not the save-the-superheroes bit. She just wanted to stop strip mining operations or something sweet and tree-hugger like. Such an environmentalist.

With only a small amount of snarky banter from their host, Peter and Wade, along with Aunt May and both kids, headed to their designated quarters. The place was bigger than the suite they shared at the Tower, having two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and large living room with a view of the lush, green valley. It was so scenic and serene, like a vacation home instead of a hideout. 

Ben and Kiddo stumbled through the door, going straight to the couch, each taking an end and promptly falling asleep. 

May went to the kitchen, opening the cabinets and checking the refrigerator for supplies. She found a cannister of gourmet coffee, and a supply of high-end dehydrated foods. There were soups, meats, vegetables, eggs, and milk. Enough to last for at least a month. May grabbed a package of broccoli cheddar soup, and said, “I’m going to make us some lunch.”

“I just want to sleep,” Wade said, rubbing his eyes. 

“Sleep is for the weak,” Peter said with a smirk.

Wade laughed, putting an arm around Peter’s shoulders. “More like sleep is for a week.”

“You two go take a nap,” May said with a smile. “I slept enough on the plane. I’ll keep an eye on the kids. Get some rest.”

Wade and Peter both gave her a tight hug, and walked to the bedroom. Peter started removing his costume. It was grimy and clingy in ways he never remembered it being. Considering it had been five years since he’d worn the damn thing, he figured he just forgot the sensations a night of fighting bad guys caused on the skin. He was about to pull off the pants, when he noticed Wade leaning against the wall. There was a subtle shaking in his body, and even without the soft huffs and sniffs, Peter knew that Wade was crying. 

Then, like a mannequin whose strings had been cut, Wade slid down the wall, head hung with one hand covering his face as he sobbed. Peter went to him, kneeling down beside him, pulling Wade to his chest. The sounds that came out of the ex-merc were of pure anguish, and Peter knew that this is exactly what Wade was holding back the entire night. 

Peter had known Wade for a long time, and knew that underneath all his snarky comebacks was someone who felt things on a much different level. He hid so much of himself away, armored by a persona. Hid by Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth. The last 5 years, Wade was just Wade. He was a guy who went to work and made dinner, and relaxed on the couch with a beer. He was a guy who went to neighborhood block parties and participated in Ugly Sweater competitions at Christmas. He was a father, a husband, and Peter’s best friend.

Tonight, Wade again became Deadpool. He became the killer, and it was obvious from his performance in the facility that fighting and killing were still second nature to him. The way he moved with his katanas in hand was like a well-choreographed dance, a gory display of painful grace. Not a motion wasted, not a moment of hesitation. During the flight, Wade had shut off the part of his mind that was the lover and mentor, drawing only upon the part of him that was an agent of death. 

That is why Wade hoped that Peter could forgive him. Not because he pushed Peter away, but for what he became once they were inside. The tears weren’t relief; they were agony.

“Wade?” Peter said softly, pulling the ex-merc tighter against his chest. “When I met you, you were this off-the-wall madman. You were a killer and a lunatic. You actually threw me off a bridge.” 

Wade looked up at him, his face twisted in confusion.

“But I still fell in love with you.” Peter kissed his forehead softly, and added, “Nothing is going to change that. Nothing.”

“I’ll never deserve you, Peter,” Wade said, his voice barely audible. “I can’t imagine why you’d ever want something as damaged and fucked up as me.”

Peter held his face in his hands, kissing the tear stains below Wade’s eyes. “You are not broken, Wade Parker-Wilson. You are the most wonderful, caring man I’ve ever known. We’ve been through so much together, things no one else could even fathom. I know you’ve been to dark places. I know that. But you don’t live there anymore. You are my husband. You are Ben’s father. You are not what you used to be.”

Fresh tears fell from his eyes, and Wade pulled Peter into a soft kiss, his lips trembling against the younger man’s. They stayed close, their foreheads resting against each other, Wade holding onto Peter as if at any moment he would disappear. 

***

Two hours of sleep wasn’t even close to long enough, but Peter was awake. He stared at Wade who was curled up beside him, almost like a frightened child. It took a long time for the ex-merc to finally relax enough to lay down, and even longer to fall asleep. And once he did, it was obvious to Peter that Wade’s nightmares had returned. He jerked and mumbled, once actually shouting himself awake. He got up and checked all the doors and windows, made sure that both the kids were safe and secure before he would lay down again. 

No. Two hours was not even close to enough sleep. But now that Wade was resting peacefully, Peter carefully got out of bed and headed to the shower. He put on a pair of maroon lounge pants and black t-shirt he found in the closet, taking a moment to consider how creepy it was that Tony had clothes in the rooms that mimicked his Ironman colors. Judging by the way this place was isolated and designed for survival, Peter was pretty sure Tony Stark was planning on starting his own luxury cult. 

Wade woke while he was in the shower, and was pulling on his own set of Stark cult-wear. He smiled at Peter, still a little shell-shocked but it was at least genuine. Peter walked to him, standing between the merc’s knees and kissing his forehead. Wade wrapped his arms around Peter’s lithe waist, Peter resting his arms on Wade’s shoulders. 

They were both exhausted, but there was still work to be done. They’d received a message from Coulson that everyone was to meet at 8 p.m. in the conference room of the compound to discuss current intel. Coulson, Natasha, Psylocke, and Clint had returned to the city to meet up with another group of trusted insiders, and would be back by then. Which was still a couple hours away. 

Wade and Peter walked out of the bedroom into the quiet living room. They both immediately noticed something missing. Ben had decided sometime in the afternoon that he wanted to nap with Aunt May--who was officially the most badass person the little boy knew after she performed a mostly successful jailbreak. Kiddo had stayed on the couch, but she was now missing.

They checked Aunt May’s room, finding only Ben and May sleeping on top of the covers. Then started looking under furniture, in closets, but was still coming up empty handed. Peter was about to suggest that they notify Tony, but Wade cut him off noticing a cabinet door that was slightly ajar under the sink.

Wade walked into the kitchen and sat down on the tile, leaning against the cabinet. “I know you’re in there, Kiddo.”

There was no response, but Wade could hear a surprised intake of breath. 

“I used to hide in cabinets when I was a kid,” Wade said softly. “Usually hiding from people I didn’t want to see. I know you’re surrounded by strangers and you’ve been through a lot of scary stuff. So if you need to hide, I understand.”

Again, only silence. 

“Just, can you knock on the door once? Let me know you’re okay?” Wade said, touching the door. 

Again, only silence.

Wade frowned, and said, “Knock twice if you’re not?”

There were two soft thuds. 

“Do you want me to stay out here? Keep you company?” Wade asked. 

There was a beat of silence, then one soft knock. 

“Okay.” Wade stretched out his legs. “You ever hear about a bad guy called Tiger Shark? He was kind of a big buffoon, looked pretty stupid too. Who takes a guy seriously that looks like a shark? Even if he did have rows of sharp teeth and a fin on his head. It was just weird, ya know? Anyway…”

 

Peter made a cup of coffee, smiling as he listened to Wade talk about his encounter with Tiger Shark, which led to his adventures in being a Pirate with Bob, Agent of Hydra. It took almost an hour of his storytelling, but eventually Kiddo opened the cabinet door.


	9. Family Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people behind the plot are revealed, and Wade finds an old friend.

Wade and Peter were reluctant to leave when it came time to go to the meeting. Ben was also being a little extra clingy, and had tears in his eyes when he hugged his dads. Kiddo also didn’t like the idea of staying alone, even if Aunt May was going to be there. Peter could see that the little girl had become very attached to Wade. Ever since he talked her out of the cabinet, she had been glued to his side. She didn’t want a hug when the two men departed, just a fist bump and a promise that Wade would tell more stories when they got back.

Upon closing the door, Wade paused in the hallway to compose himself. He was still a little off kilter from the last 24-hours, which felt more like a month. Peter leaned against him, smiling up at him with his big doe eyes, and Wade managed to crack a smile as their lips met. 

“Let’s do this,” Wade said, hesitantly taking Peter by the hand and starting down the hall. They weren’t typically one of those couples who held hands as they strolled, though Peter wasn’t going to object. If Wade wanted to touch him, no matter the capacity, Peter was on board. 

The way Wade was acting sort of reminded Peter of the way the ex-merc behaved when they first started dating. Sort of hesitant, a little shy, almost like he was surprised every time Peter didn’t punch him in the face. Peter knew that in Wade’s mind, he was lacking something that Peter deserved. And Peter was determined to show him that Wade was everything he needed and more, one smile, one touch, one kiss at a time. 

“Awww, look at the little lovebirds.”

Both Peter and Wade turned around to see a robust woman in a black S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform standing with a hand on her hip, smiling at them. Peter didn’t recognize her, and tensed. Then Wade let out a bark of laughter as he started towards her with his arms spread wide. 

“Preston!” he shouted as he closed the distance, giving the android a tight hug. 

Preston stepped back, and said, “Wade Wilson! Just look at you, you crazy bastard. Haven’t seen you in forever!” She looked around him, and said, “Are you Peter?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. Peter Parker.”

They shook hands, and Preston said, “Pleased to meet the man that tamed my favorite merc.”

“Favorite merc?” Wade said, eyebrow raised in question. “You having some kind of short circuit?”

“I’ve kept tabs on you, Wade,” she said with a smile. “You’ve been living the good life. I kinda hate to see you get dragged back into the bullshit, but here we are.”   
Clint appeared out of a door down the hall, and said, “We’re getting started, slackers. Come on.”

Wade gave him the finger. 

Preston looped her arm in Wade’s and said, “After this little confab, I want to meet your son.”

“Yeah, uh…” Wade gestured down the hall. “We kind of picked up a stray, I guess you could say. There was a little girl at the facility, won’t give us her name. Said she doesn’t have any family. You think you can help at least identify her?”

Preston nodded. “Of course. I’m a handy android, you know.”

“Still my favorite operating system,” Wade said with a grin.

Neither Peter nor Preston had any idea what he was talking about.

They were the last to arrive, everyone looking towards the door as Wade and Peter entered. Tony was sitting at the head of the conference table, wearing his sunglasses with bare feet propped and twitching to the music coming out of his noise cancelling headphones. Coulson was beside him, along with Natasha, Clint, and Psylocke. Luke Cage, Frank Castle, and Logan were on the opposite side of the billionaire. Bruce Banner and Sam Wilson had also arrived, along with several others. It was easy to tell who had stayed at Tony’s private compound by who was dressed in IronMan maroon.

Coulson started recounting all that they had learned, in the order they had learned it. Hydra was originally at the top of the suspect list, despite A.I.M.’s involvement. However, some of the technology found at the former Weapon X facility belonged to the Purifiers. Had any of the A.I.M. goons been smart enough to use the devices, the mutants who helped liberate the facility would have been rendered useless. 

“So we have Purifiers, Hydra, and A.I.M. all chummy in this,” Tony said, his brow furrowed. “Who else? Maggia? Doom? The dreaded Beyond?” The last one was said with extra snark. Then the billionaire asked, “Who the hell has the money or even the will to fund something like this?”

Coulson frowned. “Apparently, the country of Bagalia.”

There was a collective blank stare.

Wade laughed, drawing everyone’s attention. Even Peter looked a little confused. Wade just shrugged, and said, “It’s a little shithole of an island. Like a getaway for villainous types. Great little bar called The Hole. Used to go there for jobs and to hang out with Tasky.”

“Why the hell is he even here?” Luke Cage asked, glaring at Coulson.

“Rogers sort of made him an Avenger a while back,” Tony answered, sounding slightly bitter. “He’s reformed. Mostly. Probably.”

“Still in the room, too,” Wade added with a glare.

“Back to the subject,” Coulson said, again drawing everyone’s attention. “We checked the bank records of some of the A.I.M. subcontractors, and managed to follow the money back to Bagalia’s national bank. From there, we found that there have been substantial funds going out to practically every crime organization.”

It was Tony’s turn to laugh. “How the hell did this happen, exactly? The Bagalians, for all their wicked residents, aren’t exactly...I mean…Basically, they suck. They suck a lot. And S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t catch on that this was happening?”

“The failings of S.H.I.E.L.D. are many,” Coulson said. 

“So when do we head to Bagalia?” Cage demanded.

“Probably when we actually have the numbers and the power to pull it off,” Coulson answered, deadpan. “Fact is, the place is filled with terrorist sects, mercenary groups, rogue military splinters, and not to mention that what Mr. Wilson said is correct. It is crawling with superhuman villains. This isn’t a job for a handful of heroes and mutants.”

Cage shook his head. “So we’re just supposed to go home? Act like this didn’t happen? Like these assholes didn’t just walk into our lives and take away our kids?”

“No,” Coulson answered. “We just are gonna need the backing of the military. I believe we can get it, but it will take a couple days.”

Tony sighed, slouching back. “Everyone, just stay here. There’s plenty of room. Actually, there’s like 200 rooms, to be precise. We’ll make a plan. Get things organized.”

“You the fearless leader now?” Logan asked, brow arched. “How’s Cap, by the way?”

“Rogers is improving,” Tony answered. “The bullets were extracted successfully, and his body is healing. Takes a lot to kill him. I spoke with him this afternoon, and he should be back in the game in a couple weeks. Probably sooner.”

The meeting ended with plans to gather again the following morning. There was a lot of grumbling and a little table pounding, but eventually everyone departed. Wade, Peter, and Preston were halfway down the hall, going towards their wing of the compound when they heard running footsteps, followed by Tony shouting, “Hold up a second!”

The three stopped, turning. Tony came to a stop a few feet away from them, pausing to catch his breath before he said, “I, uh, was supposed to give you a message. From Cap.”

Wade cocked his head. “What message?”

Tony huffed a laugh, smiling. “He, uh, wanted me to tell you that your son, Ben? Right? That Ben is. He’s a really brave kid.”

Peter smiled. “When you talk to him next, tell him thanks.”

Wade couldn’t speak; he didn’t trust his voice. 

***

As soon as Peter and Wade came through the door, Ben squealed with joy and sprinted at them. Peter scooped him up, hugging him tight before passing him to Wade. Ben hung onto Wade’s neck dangling even when the merc dropped his arms to his sides. Aunt May came to the entryway, and plucked Ben off, tickling his sides and making him squirm. 

Preston grinned at May and Ben, and said, “He seems like a very happy kid.”

“Oh he is,” May said with a smile. “And you are?”

Wade’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Right. Introductions. Miss May, this is Emily Preston. Presbot, this is Miss May Parker, my kind of sort of mother-aunt-in-law.” 

“Pleased to meet you,” Preston said, shaking May’s hand. 

“You’re a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent,” May said with a hint of a frown.

Preston nodded. “Yes, but I’m not one of the bad ones.”

“I can vouch for her,” Wade said, nudging Preston in the ribs. “She sort of lived inside my head for about a year.”

Both May and Peter gave Wade a strange look.

“Uh, long story short, she died, a grungy necromancer put her soul in my body, we shared space until her awesome android body was complete,” Wade said in one breath. Peter and May were both giving him a strange look. Ben was laughing. “Anyway, Preston equals Friend Agent. Like Phil.”

“Where’s your guest?” Preston asked.

May gestured with her head towards the bedroom. “She’s in there watching cartoons.”

Wade nodded, and said, “How about we make supper with that weird dried stuff, and organize a family dinner?”

“Lovely idea,” Preston said, then pushed Wade toward the living room. “I’ll help with this. I haven’t gotten to cook for a family in a long time.”

Wade’s brow knitted together. “But I thought…”

“I’ll tell you about it later,” she said with a sad smile. Wade nodded, and walked to the living room where Peter was already sitting on the floor with Ben in his lap. He was about to sit down with them, but detoured toward the bedroom. 

Kiddo was sitting on the edge of the bed eating freeze dried ice cream and watching Fairly Odd Parents. She looked towards him as soon as he came in, and a big smile crossed her face. “Hi, Wade!”

“Hey, Kiddo,” Wade said. 

“Want to watch TV with me?” she asked. 

“We’re watching the same thing in the living room,” Wade said. “You want to join us? Going to have supper soon.”

She bounced up off the bed, and followed Wade out to the living room. Wade sat on the floor by Peter, and Kiddo got in one of the oversized chairs. Ben was crawling all over his dads, going from one lap to the other, climbing up onto Wade’s shoulders and rolling down his chest like one might a small hill. It didn’t take much to notice that she was watching Wade, Peter, and Ben on the floor more than she was watching the show.

Wade noticed, and felt a strange tug of guilt. He knew what it was like to be the little kid who desperately wanted to be part of the fun. He looked at Peter, using facial gestures to communicate.

Peter smiled, and said, “Why don’t we play Alphabet?”

Kiddo cocked her head to the side. “What’s Alphabet?”

“It’s a learning game we play,” Peter said. “We go through the alphabet, starting with letter A, and come up with words to match the letters. Like A is for Apple.”

“That’s a game?” Kiddo said, kind of unimpressed.

Wade laughed. “Yeah. It’s actually hard, because the next person has to remember all the words. So Peter says Apple, I say Apple Burrito, you say…”

“Apple, Burrito, Chimichanga,” Kiddo said, beaming a smile.

Wade gave her a fist bump. “Excellent choice.”

“Chimichangas are my favorite,” Kiddo said, giving a double thumbs up.

Ben grinned. “Are we playing?” Peter nodded, and Ben said, “Apple, Burrito, Chimi-changa, Donkey.”

The game continued. Wade was the first one to foul out of the game, forgetting that G was part of the alphabet. Ben was next, flubbing on the letter P. Wade thought Kiddo would drop out, because basically, Peter always won this game. The guy had a memory like no other. But the little girl hung in all the way to the end, proudly going from Apple to Zero. 

“Good job, Kiddo,” Peter said, everyone giving her a high five. Then he said, “Okay, so now we go backwards.”

Kiddo nodded, and subsequently recited the words from Zero to Apple, not missing a single one. Peter was thoroughly impressed. He would have had to think about it at least a little bit. But the little girl didn’t even fumble. 

Wade was slack jawed. “Damn, Kiddo. You gotta big brain, don’tcha?”

She shrugged. “Not really. I’m pretty stupid.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding, Kiddo! You’re super smart. Deffinitely smarter than me,” Wade said with a laugh, Peter giving the merc a dirty look. Wade was always very self-deprecating. “Anyone tells you otherwise, you punch them in the teeth.”

Kiddo laughed.

Peter glared, and said to Kiddo, “Figuratively! Figuratively. No actual punching.”

Aunt May laughed, and from the kitchen said, “Are you being a bad influence again, Wade Wilson?”

Wade grinned, standing up and stretching. “I’m a perfect widdle angel, Miss May. You know this.”

May shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I hope you’re a hungry widdle angel. Dinner’s ready.”

They gathered in the dining area, Wade dragging a couple folding chairs from the closet so everyone had a seat. This was the biggest family dinner they’d had, and Wade had a warm and fuzzy feeling at the thought of this being a normal thing. A couple times, Peter and Wade had discussed potentially adopting another kid. And seeing the way that Ben and Kiddo were making faces at each other made an idea form in his head. One that he would be discussing with Peter when they went to bed.

Preston sat between Wade and Kiddo. During their walk back to the room, Peter and Wade discussed with her a little more about the little girl. She told them that she would do her best to get information from the girl, but if she wasn’t answering questions, she could just as easily take a small DNA sample to run through the database. 

Suddenly, Kiddo gave Preston a funny look. “I think you grabbed my glass.”

Preston’s brow shot up. “Oh goodness. I guess I did.”

Kiddo giggled, and Wade got up to grab another from the kitchen. Preston followed him into the kitchen, and said in a low voice, “I’m sequencing her DNA. I should have an ID on her by morning.”

Wade nodded. “Thanks, Presbot.”

“You want to keep her, don’t you?” Preston said with a knowing smile.

“Gotta talk to Peter first,” Wade said with a shrug. “She’s a good kid. Even if Peter says no, I want to make sure she’s placed in a good home. Cuz I don’t think that’s where she’s been. A good home, I mean. It’s the things she says like she’s not smart, when she’s obviously brilliant. Makes me wanna choke whoever put that thought in her head.”

Preston nodded. “Don’t worry, Wade. We’ll make sure she’s in a good place.”


	10. Questionable Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Preston have a heart to heart.

After a fairly eventful night, Peter was the first to wake in the morning. It was unusual for him. It was always Wade bouncing on him in the mornings, insisting that he rise and shine. But this morning, Wade was still sleeping. Snoring, one arm flung across his eyes. Peter leaned over to kiss the knob of his elbow before getting out of bed and pulling a shirt over his head.

Wade had been all over the place emotionally last night. Swinging from happy to sad to angry to indifferent. It was too much like he was before Ben came along, and Peter knew it was because of the killing. And just like when they napped earlier, nightmares were constantly hounding him. He shook and whimpered, arms flailing and legs kicking until Peter had to get up for a while, since there seemed to be nothing he could do to soothe him. If anything, just touching Wade seemed to only agitate him more.

He walked out into the living room, finding Kiddo curled into a ball at the end of the couch, maroon blanket draped over her sleeping form. Peter sighed. He and Wade had discussed the possibility of maybe adopting her. Well, more like Wade told Peter it was what he wanted, and became agitated when Peter told him that they needed to wait to make that decision. Peter kind of hated playing devil’s advocate, but he didn’t feel that they were really ready for another kid. Also, he was well aware that Wade was reminded of his long dead daughter when he looked at the little girl.

Peter poked his head into Aunt May’s room, and saw that Ben and May were both sound asleep. He smiled and headed to the patio door. The sun wasn’t up, and the air was filled with the sounds of insects buzzing and chirping, the pre-dawn air crisp and clean in ways that New York never was. Fog was gathered down in the valley, and Peter thought about how nice it would be to live in a place like this. True, he would miss the convenience of the city, but there wouldn’t be the omnipresent feeling that at any moment, something terrible was going to happen.

He stretched, then leaned against the railing. Then he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Preston say, “I’m happy you’re awake.”

Clutching his heart, Peter turned and said, “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I thought you had Spidey Senses?” she said as she joined him by the railing.

Peter took a deep breath, willing his pulse to go down. “I’m a little out of practice. The only thing I’ve had to worry about the last five years was Ben opening the door at an inappropriate time.” He took another cleansing breath, and said, “I’m not sure if I want to get back into practice.”

“I don’t blame you,” Preston said. “Looks like you and Wade have a good life.”

“Had a good life, you mean,” Peter grumbled.

Preston’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? You two fighting?”

Peter shook his head. “No. It’s not that.” He sighed. “We’ve done so much to try to put the past behind. We wanted to raise Ben without having to worry about supervillains. We wanted him to be safe. And… I wanted to be safe. I wanted to just be Peter, Professor of Chemistry. Husband, father. Now…”

“You feel like you’ve been sucked in,” Preston finished for him.

“Yeah,” he said, again looking down to the valley. “And I’m worried about Wade now. All of this… He’s acting different. Like all the progress we’ve made has been thrown out the window.”

“That’s kind of why I wanted to talk to you,” Preston said with a sigh.

Peter looked at her, a frown settling between his brows. “About what?”

“About Kiddo,” she answered. Preston leaned against the railing, and said, “I ran her DNA last night, filtered it through S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database. I found a match, and I wanted to talk to you about what that match could mean before I go any further.”

“Who’s child is she? One of the Avengers? Some supervillain?” Peter asked.

Preston looked him in the eyes, and said, “She’s Eleanor Camacho.”

Peter frowned. “That’s not funny, Preston.”

“No, it’s not,” Preston said, shaking her head. “But it’s the truth.”

Shaking his head, Peter said, “That’s impossible. Ellie would be in her teens by now, right? Wade said she was born in the 90’s.”

“Wade’s mind is a minefield, Peter. You know this,” Preston said gently. “His memory before North Korea is unreliable at best. I’ve been inside his mind. It is a jumble of things that make absolutely no sense. According to his memory, he first met you in the 60’s.”

Peter shook his head again. “Yeah. He told me about that. Said it was some kind of teleporter accident.”

“That’s what he calls a continuity error. Wade’s mind has been erased hundreds of times.” Preston gestured over her shoulder. “In his mind? Ellie was conceived in the 70’s, when in reality, Carmella Camacho wasn’t even alive then. I’ve looked into the records. Ellie was only a year old when North Korea happened. I’ve actually been looking for her for years.”

Brow furrowed, Peter said, “I thought they found her body in a mass grave?”

“No. Wade found Carmella,” Preston corrected. “He refused to accept that Ellie could still be alive. Told me that if I wanted to investigate, I could, but he didn’t want to hear about it. Didn’t want to hope.”

Peter was silent for a moment, trying to wrap his mind around this. Back when he first started trying to befriend the merc, Wade was indifferent to the world. He was actively trying to die. Every moment, every chance he got, he threw himself into the middle of violence. Peter lost count of how many times he literally had to pick up the pieces of Wade’s broken body. More than once, Peter had asked him why he was punishing himself.

And Peter did everything he could imagine to try to change Wade’s pattern of self-destruction. Including revealing his secret identity, something he’d only done with one other person. Something he didn’t want to do with anyone, because of how badly that ended for Gwen. And really, by trying to save Wade, he was trying to save himself at the same time. Peter was in a bad headspace at the time, looking everywhere for redemption.

Eventually, Deadpool changed to Wade in Peter’s mind. He went from someone that was a burden to someone who was a friend. Really, their relationship snuck up on him. Blindsided, more likely. He would never forget the first time Wade kissed him. They had been on patrol together, and were high on adrenaline after saving 20 people from a burning building. Wade’s mask had caught fire towards the end, leaving the lower part of his face revealed.

Peter said, “You kind of have that Batman look happening.”

And Wade said, “The better to kiss you, my dear.”

Then he leaned in and gave Peter a loud, smacking smooch on the lips. It was a shock to Peter’s system that left his lips buzzing and next thing he knew, he was pulling Wade back for another. This time, Wade was the one who was stunned.

Wade changed after that. He wasn’t as self-destructive, and Peter started to see him in a different light. Sure, it was the light of pheromones at first. But Peter really started to pay attention, learning Wade’s quirks. Learning when he was actually talking to Peter and when he was talking to the ever-fading voices in his head.

Then came the pregnancy, and Wade transformed completely. He was happy. He smiled easily. After Ben was born, Wade took to fatherhood like a fish to water. He was doting and caring, vigilant and protective. Not to mention how amazing he was as a husband. Hell, Wade planned their entire wedding.

“Peter?” Preston said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

Peter sighed. “How do we tell Wade?”

“That’s why I’m here, Peter.” Preston shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know how he will take this. I don’t know how Ellie is going to take this.”

“You are absolutely sure it is Ellie?” Peter said softly.

Preston nodded. “Without a doubt. She was reported missing Friday from a foster home in Chicago.”

“This…” Peter shook his head. “This is one helluva crazy coincidence.”

“I agree,” Preston said. “Something about this feels wrong, though. She doesn’t fit the profile of the rest of the children. Whoever decided to take her must know that she’s Wade’s daughter, and are somehow connected with the rest of these kidnappings. While this is good news, I’m afraid that someone is targeting Wade.”

Peter ran his fingers back through his hair, nodding. “Wade has a lot of enemies. Probably a lot of enemies that are still holding a grudge. I’m actually amazed that we’ve lived this long without incident.” He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Last night, I told Wade that I didn’t think we were quite ready for another kid.”

Preston winced. “There’s a lot of steps to go through before she can actually come to live with you.”

“What will Kiddo think?” Peter said, feeling lost now. “She’s going to be very confused by this.”

She nodded. “That’s why I don’t think we should tell her. At least not yet. Not until this whole debacle with Bagalia has been resolved and we’re certain she is safe to go home.”

“Wade won’t let her go back to the foster home,” Peter said, shaking his head. “He will not let that happen. I know him.”

Preston hesitated, before saying, “Do you think it would be best to not tell him?”

Peter’s eyes went wide. “What! Are you kidding me? I can’t keep something like this from him. He would hate me for keeping this a secret. I would hate myself, because you don’t know. You don’t know how haunted he looked when Ben went missing!”

There were suddenly tears running down Peter’s face. He wiped his face on the back of his hand, turning away from Preston as he said, “I could see it when he found out. Ben was missing, but it was Ellie he was thinking about. This whole mission… I know he loves Ben. I know that. He loves our son more than anything, but…”

He grabbed his hair, and growled, “I couldn’t even fucking express how much Ben going missing was ripping me apart,  because I had to keep my goddamn mouth shut to keep Wade from completely breaking into pieces. This whole thing has been a fucking nightmare, and I’ve had to be the strong one. I don’t think I can be strong anymore.”

Suddenly, Peter felt his Spidey Senses tingling, and he turned around to see Wade standing just inside the patio door. He wondered how long he had been there, how much he had heard. Most of the time, Peter could read every little tick of Wade’s face. Half the time they didn’t have to talk because they just knew what the other was thinking. Not this moment. Wade looked stunned, frozen.

Preston started, “Wade, I…”

“I need a minute with my husband,” Wade said, his voice just as unreadable as his expression.

More tears fell, and Peter covered his face, shaking. Then he felt Wade’s strong arms wrap around him, pulling him against the merc’s bare chest.

“I’m so sorry, baby boy,” Wade said, his voice hoarse. “I didn’t know. I didn’t… God I didn’t want to do this to you. I’m so sorry. God, I’m sorry. I should have been there for you. I should have…” He cleared his throat, fighting back his own tears. “You’re right. I… Shit, Peter, I didn’t even think about what this was doing to you.”

“It’s okay,” Peter mumbled against his chest.

Wade shook his head. “No, it’s not.” He kissed Peter’s hair, and said, “I can’t tell you how much you matter to me. How much I love you. I can’t do it, Peter. I’m not good with words like that. And hurting you… I don’t want to do that. You are the most important thing in my life. You and Ben. You are my entire world. Somehow, someway, I’m going to make this up to you.”

Peter straightened, looking up into Wade’s eyes. He could see the sincerity, the guilt. The love. He took a deep breath, looking at the pattern of scars on the ex-merc’s neck. “Is that all you heard?”

Wade cupped his cheek, coaxing Peter to look at him again. “What’s wrong?”

He sighed heavily, and said, “I don’t know how to tell you this…”

“Just tell me, baby boy,” Wade said with a half smile. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ve been though worse and stranger. Whatever it is, we can work through it.”

Peter bit his lip, resting his hands on Wade’s broad chest, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Preston just told me that Ellie is alive.”

Wade’s brow furrowed. “W-- What? How? Where is she?”

Voice shaking, Peter said, “She’s sleeping on the couch.”

Wade froze. He wasn’t breathing or blinking. It reminded Peter of how he looked when he revealed that he was pregnant.

  
Therefore, it didn’t really surprise him at all when Wade passed out. At least this time, Peter was ready to catch him.


	11. Sunday Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wade and Peter discuss the situation, and a family tradition continues.

After Wade recovered from his faint, he wouldn’t come back inside. He sat on the patio in one of the chairs, arms crossed on the railing, chin resting in the crook of his elbow. He stared out at the valley in complete silence, eyes distant and unfocused. He was trying to remember things, but it was all so confusing.

Periodically, he would reach for Peter, resting his hand on his husband’s knee, almost as if he was checking to make sure that this was still the real world. Peter would lace his fingers with Wade’s, and they would sit that way for a few minutes. 

With the sun peeking over the mountains, Wade sat up a little straighter, looking at Peter for the first time. Really looking at him, almost like he was trying to figure out some big mystery. A couple times he opened his mouth as if to start speaking. Instead he shook his head, and leaned forward, covering his face with his hands. 

“Talk to me, Wade,” Peter said softly. 

Wade sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to say.”

Peter scooted closer to him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Wade stayed silent for a while, before finally mumbling, “I love you and Ben so much, but she didn’t ask to be born into my shit-show of a life. I have to do the right thing here, but I don’t know what that is.”

Peter put a hand on Wade’s knee, and said, “I was thinking we can start looking for bigger houses. Our two bedroom isn’t going to cut it with two kids. We need a yard, too. Somewhere we can put a swing set. Maybe get a dog. Or a cat. Or maybe a hamster. I don’t know. Whatever the kids want. And…”

“Huh?” Wade said, cutting Peter off. “You… I thought… Last night, you didn’t…”

“This is completely different,” Peter said, urgency in his voice. “When I said that I didn’t think we were ready, I meant that. But this is a different situation. She is your daughter, Wade. There is no way in hell I would ever say no to her coming to live with us.”

Wade eyes were shimmering with tears. “You really…” He took a shaking breath, looking up as he tried in vain to keep the tears from falling. The he started laughing, a soft huffing sound as he looked back at Peter. “How are you so amazing?”

“Good genes,” he said with a grin. Peter held Wade’s hand in both of his. 

The sound of the TV drew their attention toward the house. Ellie was awake, sitting on the couch wrapped up in her blanket. Wade stared at her, his smile sad and eyes still watering. His mind was a staticy mess looking at her, everything so confused. 

“I know this is going to sound crazy…” Wade said softly. “But… I swear I knew it when I saw her. I couldn’t put words to the feeling I had. I kept telling myself that it was just because of the situation. It was the fairy tale ending I wanted back in North Korea. I wanted to find Carmela and Ellie, and save them. Take them home. Let them live their lives. But…”

He sighed heavily. “Shit. There is so damn much to explain. She’s going to have questions. Questions. Fuck… Questions I don’t know how to answer, least of all for an 8 year old.”

“She’s a smart kid, Wade,” Peter said, soft smile on his lips. “And she likes you. Hell, she adores you.”

“She might not once I tell her the truth,” Wade said, looking down. “All the hell she’s been through is my fault, Peter.”

Peter took a deep breath, and said, “We don’t have to tell her right now. Not if you don’t want to.”

Aunt May and Ben were up now. Ben went immediately to the couch to sit beside Ellie, who put the blanket around the little boy’s shoulders. A minute later, they were both laughing at morning cartoons. Wade felt something inside him swelling, as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He looked at Peter, who was smiling at the scene. 

“Want to go inside?” Wade said after a minute or two of silence. “It’s Sunday. Pancake day.”

Peter nodded and stood up, still holding Wade’s hand as they walked inside. 

“Good morning,” Ben and Ellie said in unison, both smiling up at Wade and Peter. A strikingly similar smile. Peter hadn’t noticed it before, but there were some similarities in their features. Most notably, their eyes. Everyone who looked at Ben thought he looked like Peter, but that was only because of how disfigured Wade’s face was. In reality, Ben had Wade’s smile and nose, and the same mischievous look. It was never more obvious than seeing him beside his half-sister. 

That thought sort of took Peter’s breath away. Ben had a sister. 

Wade flickered a smile, and said, “Mornin’.”

“Are we doing pancakes?” Ben asked, his big golden eyes filled with hope. 

Peter nodded. “Can’t ruin the tradition just because we’re not home.”

Ellie grinned. “Pancakes are my favorite.”

Wade almost burst into tears as he said, “A fan of pancakes and chimichangas. You are definitely my d--... uh… definitely someone who fits in around here.”

“Can I help?” she said as she sat up a little straighter. 

“Uh, sure?” Wade said, starting to shake a little. 

Both kids got off the couch and followed Wade into the kitchen. He gave Ellie the job of measuring out the mix and cracking the eggs, showing her how to separate the whites from the yolks because Peter wants to be healthy. Ben stirred the batter together, splashing a little on the counter and managing to get a little bit in his hair. He always had food in his hair. 

Peter sat at the counter drinking coffee, easily imagining this being their normal days. Wade loved cooking and showing Ben new things. And Ellie seemed to fit right into the dynamic. Not to mention how she fed off of Wade’s praise, as if she was starving for the attention. She probably was, if she was living in a foster home. 

“What’s your favorite animal, Kiddo?” Wade said as he pulled a plastic baggie out of the drawer. He poured the thoroughly mixed batter into the bag and snipped a corner. 

Ellie’s brow furrowed. “Uh… I don’t know?”

“You like dinosaurs?” Wade asked as he quickly threw down a brontosaurus on the griddle. They were Ben’s favorite pancakes. He always ate the necks first, usually growling like a T-Rex. Ellie watched, eyes wide and amazed as Wade flipped the pancake and she could see the design. 

“That’s awesome!” she gasped. She bit her lip, and said, “Can you make a turtle?”

Wade nodded, quickly making the design. Peter was always amazed at the way he did these things so fast. 

Aunt May came into the kitchen, freshly showered and smiling as she said, “This place smells delicious. I love your pancakes, Wade.”

“I’m Canadian,” he said, as if that explained everything. He finished the layout of his latest turtle, and looked at Peter. “You wanna tell Aunt May about the, uh… The thing?”

May’s eyebrow raised. “The thing?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. It’s about the, uh… the mission.”

May’s eyes went from Peter to Wade and back, knowing that something was up but having no idea what the hell it could be. She followed Peter into the bedroom, and as soon as the door closed, she said, “Okay, that wasn’t suspicious at all.”

“Yeah… uh…” Peter scrubbed a hand back through his hair. “Wade isn’t exactly subtle.”

“What’s going on?” May asked. “Does it have something to do with Kiddo?”

Peter nodded. “Did Wade ever tell you about his daughter?”

May’s eyes went wide, and she said, “She’s Ellie!”

“You kind of scare me with how perceptive you are,” Peter said. “Yeah. That’s Ellie. Preston, she matched the girl’s DNA. She doesn’t know yet. We’re going to hold off telling her until Wade is really ready. But it looks like she’s going to be living with us.”

“That’s wonderful!” May said, excited. 

Peter gave her a frown. “I’m kind of worried about Wade. He…”

“He’s making pancakes and keeping it together,” May said, cutting him off. She gripped Peter by the upper arms, and asked, “How are you holding up? This is a pretty big shock for you, I’m sure.”

He nodded, then shrugged. “It’s a surprise. Preston told me first, and I told Wade.”

“Damn. I miss everything,” May said with a laugh. “She’s such a sweet kid, too. You do know that I’m already planning how to spoil her, right? There hasn’t been a girl in this family since I was little.”

Peter shook his head. “You are way too calm about this.”

“I’m old, Peter. Old people aren’t shocked easily,” May said. Then she pulled him into a hug, and said, “If you need anything, I’m here for you, sweetheart. Just like always. I know you’ve been through hell the last couple days.”

Peter looked at her, ever amazed at her resilience. “You… You were kidnapped. You led a prisoner revolt. I should be telling you this. I’m the…”

“Shhh,” May said, cutting him off again. “Even superheroes need their aunts. And like I said. I’m old. Not easily shocked, and definitely not easily frightened by a little old kidnapping.” 

There was a soft knock on the door, and Ellie’s voice announced, “Wade says breakfast is ready, and if you don’t get your a-words out here, he’s going to eat your pancakes.”

May opened the door, smiling down at the little girl, before turning her annoyed-mother glare on the ex-merc, and saying, “Watch your language, young man. You’re supposed to set a good example.”

“You keep saying that,” Wade said with a cheeky grin. 

Peter and May walked to the kitchen, then carried their plates to the table. Ben had a stack of dinosaurs (two longnecks and a T-Rex) and Ellie had a stack of turtles (two box turtles and two sea turtles). Peter poured the syrup for both kids, who were already making up a story about how their pancakes were friends. Wade was having a hard time eating, because he kept staring at Ben and Ellie, barely believing that this was real life. 

Really, the more Peter thought about it, everything felt kind of normal. Like it was meant to be this way.


	12. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bad guys drop the ball, and Wade has a talk with Ellie.

It was just after noon when Coulson put out the call for everyone to come to the conference room. Aunt May took the kids for a walk in Tony’s elaborate Zen garden while Peter and Wade went to the meeting. Preston greeted them at the door, smiling a little too much for the situation. Or at least it seemed that way when they saw what was playing on the big screen.

The scene looked almost apocalyptic, and considering that a fair amount of people in the room had gone through time and witnessed the world of Apocalypse, it was a very accurate description. Buildings were levelled, cars burned along shattered streets. People were running and shouting, the air filled with black smoke. The sky was turned almost red from the toxins in the air.

“What is this?” Peter asked Preston.

“It’s a live feed from Bagalia,” Preston answered with a smirk. “Seems there was a series of blasts a couple hours ago that levelled half of the island.”

Coulson was explaining the full details of the incident. According to S.H.I.E.L.D. analysts, this is exactly what would happen should the elements of Project 5 were to be assembled in a faulty manner. At its most basic, Project 5 was a resonator. Whoever turned it on had it resonating with a frequency that caused the island’s reactor to explode.

“I feel like we should have seen this coming,” Tony said with a smirk. “Seriously. Like I said at the first meeting. Fucking Bagalia.”

Bruce’s face was scrunched. “You mean there was absolutely no intervention. None. They just blew themselves up?”

Coulson nodded. “It would seem that way, yes.”

“Convenient,” Wade said with a laugh as he leaned to Peter’s ear, and said, “It’s almost like the writer got stuck on the plot and just made up some crazy Deus ex Machina scenario to wrap up the story.”

Peter elbowed him in the ribs, and whispered, “Pay attention, Wade.”

The rest of the meeting was going over the current situation, which would mostly be handled by the military. However, there was a contingent of mutants that planned to go and make sure that the technology from Project 5 was completely destroyed. Hearing this, Peter looked around the room and noticed that Logan and Psylocke were absent.

“I’m surprised they didn’t ask you to come with them,” Peter whispered.

Wade smirked. “They did.”

 

Peter’s brow furrowed, then he remembered Wade’s cell phone going off while they were doing dishes. There was a quick exchange of text messages while Wade sang, “Splish spash, I was washin’ a glass…” with Ben and Ellie laughing and trying to throw out their own lyrics. It was too cute, and Wade never paused with his sing-along as he answered the messages.

Later, as they were walking back to the room, Wade handed Peter his cell phone, open to the brief conversation between him and Logan.

_**Wolvie Baby:** Going to take out the trash. You comin?_

__

_**Mrs. Parker:** Sitting this one out, bub._

__

_**Wolvie Baby:** Happy for you. And don’t call me bub, bub._

Peter looked at Wade, a small smile on his face. “I can’t believe it.”

Wade shrugged. “Yeah. Wolvie is so damned touchy about the bub-word. Acts like he owns the thing. I don’t see a ™ next to it. Whiner.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Peter said, lacing his fingers with his husbands. “I didn’t think you would want to stay home from this.”

“Those guys got it covered,” Wade said with a grin. “Besides. We got bigger things to worry about. Like house hunting and…” His smile kind of wavered. “And, uh, fixing up the old house. Kinda broke the paneling in the hallway, you know. Plus Aunt May’s house is trashed. We got a lot of work to do. Besides, I’m outta shape and getting old. And that mask is itchy. And…”

“You don’t want to leave Ellie,” Peter said, then pressed a kiss to Wade’s rough cheek.

Wade nodded. “Or Ben. Or you.” He looped his arm around Peter’s shoulders, tugging him into a small nook and kissing him with vigor. Peter let out a small whine, feeling Wade’s tongue slide at the seam of his lips. He opened up, slotting his mouth against Wade's, his senses suddenly filled with the scent and taste of his husband. Despite five years of marriage, it was still an intoxicating thing to experience.

When they broke apart, both were breathing a little harder. Peter punctuated the kiss with a quick peck to Wade’s chin, and he said, “I’m happy you’re not leaving.”

“Never leaving you, baby boy.” Wade nuzzled his face into Peter’s hair, inhaling deeply. His voice was rough and tired when he spoke again. “There’s enough heroes in the world to fight the bad guys. It doesn’t have to be us. Not right now.”

“Not right now?” Peter said, staring into Wade’s honey-gold eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe someday, we’ll go back to being Spiderman and Deadpool.” He shrugged, half smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I mean, I’m immortal. I’m not going to die any time soon, and neither are you.” He smiled a sort of sad smile, and continued, “But we missed a day with Ben. Not even a full day, and I hate it. And I’ve missed almost 9 years with Ellie. I’m not missing another day or night for missions other people can handle. That actually want to fight.”

Peter smiled, wrapping his arms loosely around Wade’s waist, tilting his chin up to catch the (still) ex-merc’s lips. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

“Me neither,” he said with a huff of a laugh. “Never thought I wanted the cookie cutter, apple pie life. Thought it would be boring, and I’d end up blowing my brains out to break the monotony.” Peter’s expression turned a little horrified at the imagery (especially since he’d found Wade like that on more than one occasion). Wade continued, “But I love my life with you. I love bedtime stories and cooking dinner. I love watching you grade assignments and playing catch at the park.” His voice dropped a little lower as he added, “I love making love with you, and waking up with you beside me. It’s all I want. Just our life. No guns or explosives required.”

It was a rare thing for Peter to be speechless, but this was one of those moments. Wade wasn’t the kind of person to throw out flowery feelings, and when he did, it was always unexpected and managed to take Peter’s breath away. Like this moment, Peter was smiling so much he was surprised his face could contain it. And maybe it couldn’t, considering how his eyes were overflowing.

Wade kissed the droplets that cascaded from Peter’s lashes, and whispered, “We should get back now.”

Peter nodded, but pulled Wade into another kiss before taking one step.

***

Wade and Peter found Aunt May and Ben on the expansive lawn that covered an area the size of two football fields at the center of the compound. All around the open lot were sculptures and fountains, small ponds filled with koi and flowers, and groves of weeping willows lining an artificial stream. Wade leaned to Peter’s ear, and whispered, “This is probably where the Stark cult will have their meetings and sacrifice roombas.”

“Their anthem will be the guitar riff from ‘Iron Man’,” Peter added.

Wade hummed a few bars of the Ozzy song, and said, “Seriously though, if everyone gets a repulsor glove, I’ll drink the koolaid.”

“What koolaid?” Ben asked.

Aunt May shook her head, smoothing Ben’s hair as she said, “You dad is making a joke, dear. There is no koolaid.”

Wade looked around, and asked, “Where’s El...uh...Kiddo?”

“She’s over by those willows,” May said, pointing. “She’s been following a very large koi for about ten minutes.”

Ben grabbed Peter’s hand, and asked, “Is Kiddo going to stay with us now?”

Peter smiled. “That’s what we hope, but we need to talk to her about it first.”

Wade knelt down, putting himself eye to eye with Ben. “You cool with having a big sister, punkin?”

The little boy’s face seemed to bunch up, as if he was in very deep thought. For a minute, Wade was worried that Ben wouldn’t like the idea of having to share space with another kid. He was always the center of his and Peter’s world, showered with attention from the day of his birth. The last thing he wanted to do was make Ben unhappy.

Then Ben nodded. “Only if its her. She can kick a soccer ball really far.”

Wade grinned, and hugged his son. Everything felt light, like he had accidentally swallowed the sun. Peter squeezed Wade’s shoulder, and after a minute to compose himself, Wade stood up again.

“I’m going to go find Kiddo,” he said before jogging towards the willow trees.

Ellie was sitting by the edge of the water, watching the giant gold fish swish between the rocks. She looked up, hearing Wade approaching. She smiled and said, “I love these fish. They look happy.”

Wade sat beside her, reaching out to let his fingers skim the surface of the water. The fish followed the motion, mouth darting after his ring finger. Ellie laughed and tried the same thing, and squeaked when it nipped her thumb.

“I got something I want to talk to you about,” Wade said as he dried his hand on his lounge pants. He couldn’t wait to get back home and out of the Cult of Stark attire.

Ellie sat back, resting on her arms and staring up at honey-gold eyes that were mirrors of her own. She asked, “What about?”

“Do you…” He paused, trying to gather the words in his mind. He could talk for hours about random things, but these talks were difficult. It reminded him of asking Peter to marry him. He bought rings, and kept them in his pocket for over a month, chickening out a hundred times before he finally got the nerve. But this was different. This kid didn’t know him at all, and he knew there could be a creepy factor if he did it wrong. He did not, under any circumstances, want to scare her.

“If you… Do you… I…” He laughed, and shook his head. This wasn’t going well.

She gave him a funny look. “For being the Merc with a Mouth, you get tongue tied a lot.”

He laughed again, and nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes.”

“I can’t talk when I’m nervous,” she said with a shrug. “Are you nervous?”

He nodded. “A little bit, yeah.”

“How come?” she asked.

“Because I’m a little scared,” he said.

She laughed. “You’re a superhero. Superheroes don’t get scared, do they?”

“They do,” Wade said with a nod.

They were both quiet for a minute, watching the koi swim after a couple dragon flies. Ellie was the one who broke the silence. She said, “Mr. Ulter told me that my real father was a superhero.”

That caught Wade’s attention. He asked, “Who is Mr. Ulter?”

“He raised me,” Ellie said, her eyes starting to shimmer. Her voice was softer, barely audible when she said, “He died last year.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice just as soft. He picked at the grass, wanting to wipe the tears from her face but knowing that would be overstepping. After she had again composed herself, he asked, “Did he tell you anything else about your real father?”

“Just that he was crazy,” she said with a sigh.

Wade huffed a laugh. “Yeah, well you gotta be a little crazy to dress up in a costume and fight bad guys.”

Ellie giggled at that, and said, “Yeah.”

Silence again prevailed, broken only by the splash of a smaller koi who was ambitiously trying to eat the dragonflies. The larger koi muscled it out of the way.

“If you were to meet your real father…” Wade started. “Would you…”

“I want to know him,” she said before he could finish. “I’d like to know why he gave me up.”

Wade cleared his throat, feeling a knot forming in his stomach. “Preston, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent that had dinner with us last night?” Ellie nodded, and waited for him to continue. Her direct gaze made him feel small. He continued, “She, uh… She identified you.”

Ellie bit her lip.

“She told us your name is Eleanor Camacho. Your mother was named Carmela,” he said feeling himself shrinking smaller. His voice was wavering as he continued, “And that means… That means that…” He took a deep breath, his hands gripping the grass. “It means that I’m your father.”

A series of emotions flickered across Ellie’s face. Disbelief, confusion, anger, sadness, confusion again. Wade had to remind himself to keep breathing, looking back at the water and focusing really hard on not crying. He knew that this was going to be difficult. But he also knew that she deserved to know the truth, even if it meant that she didn’t want to know him now.

When he looked back, Ellie was staring at him with her head cocked to the side. It was like she was expecting something, and Wade realized that it was an explanation. Answers.

“I didn’t know about you until after you were born,” he said, clearing his throat. “And when I did find out about you, I didn’t believe that you were really mine. You…” His voice caught, but he pushed through. “You were just so beautiful. And I’m... not.”

Ellie’s expression never changed. She was waiting for more.

“Then, uh, something bad happened,” Wade said softly. “Bad people, the same ones who were kind of making me crazy? They… They told me that you were dead. And it… My heart was broken. And I didn’t think my heart could break.” He sniffed, wiping the tears away, huffing a laugh as he said, “I never got the chance to be your father. And… if you want--and I’ll understand if you don’t. But if you want, I’d like to try to be the dad I was supposed to be.”

Ellie stood up and started walking away. Wade sat, watching her, not moving from his spot. No doubt she needed time to process, and he felt sort of like an asshole for throwing so much information her direction.

After about ten minutes, Ellie came back to where he was waiting. She sat down beside him, closer than she was before. She looked up at him, and said, “Okay.”

“Okay?” he said, a smile starting at the corner of his mouth.

“I’ll give you a chance,” she said, smiling. “Does that mean I get to live with you and Peter?”

“Yes,” Wade answered. “If that’s what you want.”

 **  
**She nodded, then leaned against him, resting her head against his upper arm. “It’s what I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go! I won't promise it will be a quick update, because I'm also starting the NaNoWriMo marathon of literary insanity. 
> 
> Oh, and I have a few snippets I'm going to upload soon, too. Little scenes from Wade and Peter's married life. Also have plans to do some other Spideypool stories that are not kidfics.


	13. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Parker-Wilson family moves to the country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, my dear old friends. I've really enjoyed the comments on this one. Thank you to everyone for reading. I'm going to hold off on more SpiderDadpool stories for the time being, because I have a new thing I'm working on and will probably start posting in a day or so, once I have someone read over the draft. More mpreg. Go fig.
> 
> Anyway. Lots of love! Enjoy the fluffeh.

With the help of Emily Preston and Phil Coulson, the adoption process took less than two weeks, a record by any standard. All it really took was a few falsified documents and some S.H.I.E.L.D. sleight of hand. During that time, the entire Parker-Wilson family stayed in Chicago. It turned out to be a great convenience for Wade, considering that he remembered having a pretty large stash of cash in the city from years ago. Peter frowned at the idea of using blood money for anything, but getting a fresh start wasn’t cheap.

A little creative accounting on the part of Weasel, and suddenly Peter and Wade had the funds to buy a house anywhere they wanted. There was certain criteria to be met, of course. They wanted a place with a yard. Hopefully a big yard because Ellie and Ben loved playing soccer together, and they needed room to run. The next requirement was room for a place to train. While Peter and Wade had no intention of being superheroes for a while, they still wanted to keep their skills up.

Lastly, they needed a place with enough room that Aunt May would be able to live with them. When they approached her with the idea, she seemed a little apprehensive. But once she saw the state of her home, the blood on the floors and walls, the holes from bullets that nearly killed Captain America, she decided that it would be for the best.

Wade decided to not work for S.H.I.E.L.D. any longer, and would seek employment elsewhere. He had a lot of skills that were highly desirable. When Peter told him this, Wade waggled his eyebrows, and Peter sighed, “Not those skills, Wade.”

On the day that Ellie was officially a Parker-Wilson, they got on a plane and headed back to New York. Until the house hunt was completed, they were staying in Avengers Tower. Tony greeted them with a smile, which made Wade want to throw salt or holy water in his face. Steve Rogers was also there, moving a bit slowly, but he was upright and beaming his All-American smile. Ben rushed to him immediately, and Peter almost grabbed him afraid that the little boy would bear-hug the still healing captain.

Instead, Steve scooped him up and said, “How’s my little hero?”

“Awesome!” Ben said with a giant smile.

Steve walked over to Peter and Wade, shaking both their hands, and put Ben back on the floor before pulling May into a tight hug. The two had remained very good friends for the last few years, and Peter never really had the desire to know what else was still happening between them. He just knew that Steve had dinner at May’s house once a week, and his aunt seemed happy about that arrangement.

Ellie was amazed by the Tower. Especially JARVIS, with whom she had long conversations. She and Ben occasionally went exploring around the building, and found Tony’s robots to be the most amazing things ever to be made. Especially Ultron, who looked almost like a person and was very quick to save them from the dangers of the training room. The automaton walked them back to the common room, where Peter and Wade were wide eyed at seeing their kids hanging off the metalloid.

“Thanks, Tron,” Wade said as he took both kids from the robot. “You’d make a helluva babysitter.”

“I am Ultron,” the bot answered. “I am not a babysitter.”

Ultron nodded its head, and turned around, walking back towards the laboratory.

Peter smiled as he picked up Ben, who was still beaming after his ride on the robot. “You need to stay away from the laboratories.”

Ellie was grinning. “Tony has really cool robots.”

“Yeah,” Wade said with a laugh. “But I’m pretty sure that between him and Hank Pym, they’re going to blow up the world someday.”

Peter put in his notice with the college. He was going to finish out the semester, which was only a few more weeks, and then start the job search once they found a place. They decided before even leaving Tony’s creepy survivalist compound that they were going to look for a place outside the city.

It was two months after the kidnapping nightmare that they found the right home. It was a small farm located on 10 acres of field and trees, with a small creek running along the back end of the property. The house had five bedrooms, two downstairs and three upstairs. Three bathrooms, one en suite in the master bedroom. A very large kitchen, large dining room, living room, and an office. The best part was a wrap around porch that encircled the entire house.

When Wade showed Peter the listing, all Peter saw was the price tag. “That’s… Ridiculous. We can’t afford that. That’s…”

“We can,” Wade said with a smirk. “Thanks to Weas, I’ve found my other accounts. Also, a very large pillowcase full of cash that I had stashed with Preston. I hope you don’t mind, but I paid off her house.”

Peter had a confused smile when he asked, “How do you forget that you just happen to have millions of dollars somewhere?”

Wade shrugged. “Convenience?”

The house was not only big, it was very isolated. There were few other houses nearby, mostly open fields and pastures. It was close to a small town, only a few miles away from the elementary school, but far enough from everything that they could actually see the stars at night, something that Peter had never experienced growing up in New York City.

The first night, Peter, Wade, and the kids went out onto the lawn and spread a blanket to lay back and watch the night sky. Peter pointed out different constellations, while Wade told stories about the gods that they were named for.

Ellie stuck to Wade like glue. There was some acting out and anger, which they expected. She found new places to hide in the house, a favorite being a small nook under the stairs that nobody else noticed. But somehow, Wade always found her, and would wait patiently outside whatever cabinet or closet she had burrowed in, telling stories about his adventures in the mercenary world (heavily abridged), until she came out and allowed him to apologize. For a while, Peter thought about finding a counselor to help everyone adjust, but things sort of smoothed out on their own.

Ben and Ellie were absolutely best friends from practically day one. They loved running in the grass and playing soccer, and went over the moon when Wade and Peter brought home a swing set. They spent hours out there, talking, playing dinosaurs and superheroes, and generally just being a couple of silly kids.

One evening while sitting on the porch, watching the kids chase fireflies, Peter turned to Wade and said, “This was a good idea.”

Wade nodded. “Yeah.”

“It’s safe. No more worries about rogue agents or supervillains with vendettas,” Peter said, leaning against Wade’s shoulder.

Wade brushed a kiss against Peter’s forehead. He didn’t tell Peter that before they left New York that he found Trenton.  Logan was the one who tipped him off. Wade left to go to the store, snapped Trenton’s neck, and was back with a carton of milk and the strawberry pastries that Ben and Ellie loved so much from the bakery near Avengers Tower. A couple quick trips with the teleporter, and that’s a body that will never be found.

Five years of a clean slate was pretty good, Wade figured. A little red on the books was to be expected. No one would blame him for what happened, not even Peter, but he didn’t want to burden him with the knowledge. The only thing Peter knew was that the rogue agents had been found and dealt with.

They waited until after the sun was down, then called the kids to come inside. Ben went straight to Aunt May, who had spent the evening baking monster cookies. Ellie brought her jar of fireflies to the porch and stood against the railing, watching them flash.

“You want a cookie or something, kiddo?” Wade asked as he dropped to his knees beside her, resting his elbows on the railing.

“Not tonight.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Maybe breakfast?”

Wade laughed. “That’s something you’ll have to take up with Peter, being the health nut and all.”

“Aunt May said they have raisins and oatmeal in them. Gotta be healthy,” she said, almost daring Wade to disagree.

“You are a professional swindler,” Wade said with a hint of pride.

Ellie grinned a gap-toothed smile. She’d lost a lower front baby tooth earlier in the week. Wade put it in a small wooden box where he kept other odd memorabilia, like the tab from Ben’s umbilical cord and a banded braid from when Ben got his first haircut. Adding Ellie’s tooth was important to the ex-merc, and Peter couldn’t stop smiling when he saw Wade tuck it into his box of treasures.

After showers, Peter, Wade, and Ellie gathered on Ben’s bed for bedtime stories. They were currently in the middle of Charlotte’s Web, with Wade and Peter taking turns reading a chapter or two every night. Ben loved all the talking critters, especially the rats. Ellie loved Wilbur, though she agreed with Wade that “delicious” was an excellent word to describe a pig.

Both kids were nodding off by the time they were finished with the second chapter. Peter tucked Ben under the covers while Wade scooped up Ellie and walked to her room. She stumbled sleepily to the bed in her Captain Marvel pajamas, pulling back the quilt and sheet while Wade filled  glass of water to sit on her bedside table.

Wade tucked her in and turned on the Thor’s Hammer nightlight (Ben had Iron Man, despite Wade lobbying for Hulk), before patting her on the shoulder and saying, “All set. Anything you need?”

She sat up, and a little hesitantly, asked, “Can… Can I have a hug?”

With suddenly blurry eyes, Wade said, “Of course, kiddo.” He bent down and gave her a tight hug as she squeezed him around the neck. He had to clear his throat as he again tucked the blankets around her, and said, “Sweet dreams, okay?”

“The sweetest,” she said with a grin. “Goodnight, Dad.”

Again, Wade felt like his heart had grown two sizes in two seconds, and he barely managed to say, “Goodnight, Ellie.”

Peter was standing out in the hallway, grinning from ear to ear as he wrapped his arms around his husband. He’d heard their short exchange, and knew that the tears on Wade’s face were from absolute joy. Ellie never called him “dad”, never asked for a hug. Peter knew that if Wade could manage it, he would bottle up the feelings he had in that moment and tuck them into his box of momentos.

 **  
**Instead, Wade followed Peter down to the kitchen to have a monster cookie.


End file.
